626 
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1915c 
app. 
Copy 1 





Class T) 6 1 (q 



CL.'|i 1^-' 



COMMITTEE ON ALLEGED GERMAN OUTRAGES. 



EVIDENCE AND DOCUMENTS 

LAID BEFORE 

THE COMMITTEE 

ON 

ALLEBED BERMAN OUTRABES 

Being an Appendix to the Report of the Committee appointed 
hy His Britannic Majesty's Government and presided over by 

THE EIGHT HON. 

VISCOUNT BRYCE, CM. 

ETC. KTO. i 

Formerly British Ambassador at Washington 



CONTAININa 

DETAILS OF OUTRAGES ON CIVIL POPULATION IN BELGIUM AND FRANCE; 

THE USE OF CIVILIANS AS A SCREEN; 

OFFENCES AGAINST COMBATANTS; 

FIRING ON HOSPITALS, STRETCHER BEARERS, ETC.; 

EXTRACTS FROM DIARIES AND PAPERS OF GERMAN SOLDIERS; 

PROCLAMATIONS BY GERMAN ARMY AUTHORITIES; 

SOME ARTICLES OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION CONCERNING THE LAWS 

AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ; 
FACSIMILES OF PAPERS FOUND ON GERMAN SOLDIERS. 




PUBLISHED BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, NEW YORK 

FOR 
HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, LONDON 



COMMITTEE ON ALLEGED GERMAN OUTRAGES. 



EYIDENCE AND DOCUMENTS 



LAID BEFOEE 



THE COMMITTEE 




ON 



ALLEGED 




Being an Appendix to the Report of the Committee appointed 
hy His Britannic Majesty's Government and presided over hy 



THE EIGHT HON. 



VISCOUNT BRYCE, CM 



Formerly British Amhassador at Washington 



CONTAINING 

DETAILS OF OUTRAGES ON CIVIL POPULATION IN BELGIUM AND FRANCE 

THE USE OF CIVILIANS AS A SCREEN; 

OFFENCES AGAINST COMBATANTS; 

FIRING ON HOSPITALS, STRETCHER BEARERS, ETC.; 

EXTRACTS FROM DIARIES AND PAPERS OF GERMAN SOLDIERS; 

PROCLAMATIONS BY GERMAN ARMY AUTHORITIES; 

SOME ARTICLES OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION CONCERNING THE LAWS 

AND CUSTOMS OF WAR; 
FACSIMILES OF PAPERS FOUND ON GERMAN SOLDIERS. 




PUBLISHED BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, NEW YORK 

FOR 
HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, LONDON 



LIST OF CONTENTS 



Appendix A. DEPOSITIONS 
LrfcGE AND District 
Tallies of Meuse and Sambre 
Aerschot, Malines, Yilvorde, Louvain Quadrangle 
Louvain 
Termonde 
Alost 

The Use of Civilians as a Screen 
Offences Against Combatants : 

Killing, etc., Wounded 

Firing on Hospitals, Stretcher-Bearers, etc 

Abuse of Red Cross 

Abuse of the White Flag 
Miscellaneous Statements Relating to Belgium 
France 



Appendix B. 
Appendix C. 
Appendix D. 

Appendix E. 

PLATES 



DIARIES 

PROCLAMATIONS ' , 

CONVENTION CONCERNING THE LAWS 
AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND 

DEPOSITIONS TAKEN AND PAPERS FOR- 
WARDED BY PROFESSOR MORGAN 



3 
23 
45 

130 
161 
167 
175 

187 
202 
206 
209 
215 
231 

239 

269 

275 

278 
289 



Printed by BAtLANTrNE, Hanson &= Co. Ltd. 

AT THE BALLANTYNE PKESS 

London, England 



t^OV 1819IS 



APPENDIX A. 



DEPOSITIONS. 

The follomng passage relating to this Appendix is taken from 
page 4 of the report : — 

" Many [witnesses] hesitated to speak lest what they said, if it 
should ever be published, might involve their friends or relatives 
at home in danger, and it was found necessary to give an absolute 
promise that names should not be disclosed. 

" For this reason names have been omitted.* 

" In all cases [the depositions] are given as nearly as possible (for 
abbreviation was sometimes inevitable) in the exact words of the 
witness, and wherever a statement has been made by a witness tending 
to exculpate the German troops, it has been given in full. Excisions 
have been made only where it has been felt necessary to conceal the 
identity of the deponent or to omit what are merely hearsay state- 
ments, or are palpably irrelevant. In every case the name and 
description of the witnesses are given in the original depositions and in 
copies which have been furnished to us by H.M. Government. The 
originals remain in the custody of the Home Department, where they 
will be available in case of need, for reference after the conclusion of 
the war." 

Names of places are given throughout in the French form.' 

The status of the witness is printed in each case at the head of the 
deposition. The nationaHty of all the witnesses is Belgian unless the 
contrary is indicated. 

The depositions are grouped together, each group being distinguished 
by a letter. They are arranged, as far as possible, in the order in which 
they appear in the Report, viz. : — 

a = Liege and District. 

b = The Valleys of the Meuse and Sambre. 



Ih 



The Aerschot, Malines, Vilvorde, Louvain Quadrangle. 

e = Louvain. 

f = Termonde and Alost. 

g = The use of civilians as a screen. 

h = Offences against combatants. 

k = Miscellaneous statements relating to Belgium. 

1 = France. 



LIEGE AND DISTRICT. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On the 4:th August the Germans came to Aubel. I was requisi- ^a^i 
tioned by the burgomaster of the commune for trench-digging and 
tree-cutting on the Hombourg Road. A picket of German cavalry 

* For greater security the initials of persons mentioned in the depositions have 
been changed. 

3 



Aubel. 



came up to where we were, that is to say, up to 100 yards from us. We* 
were warned of their arrival by a road-mender, and escaped, I went 
to my house at Aubel. A German battaUon came to Aubel shortly 
after my arrival. They took the four sons of a farmer at Aubel 
prisoner at the farm and took them to the police station in Aubel. 
This was on the pretence that they had fired on them, which was 
untrue. Nobody fired on them. They invoked the protection of 
Baron de F . . . The four were released at 9 o'clock in the evening. 
The Germans burnt another farm. There were no Belgian soldiers in 
the neighbourhood at the time when the Germans arrived. A few 
days afterwards another German regiment got into Aubel at half-past 
11 o'clock at night. They levelled their revolvers on the people living 
in the station district so as to bully them into leaving their houses 
and they shut them up, men, women, and children, in a livery stable. 
They then took their places in the beds. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On the 4th August 1914 at Herve I saw at about 2 o'clockin the after- 
noon near the station five Uhlans ; these were the first German troops 
I had seen. They were followed by a German officer and some soldiers 
in a motor car. The men in the car called out to a couple of young 
fellows who were standing about 30 yards away. The young men 
being afraid, ran off, and then the Germans fired upon them and killed 
one of them named D . . . ., aged 20. I know that he was killed, 
although I did not exactly see him fall, because his companion told 
me so. 

On the 6th August 1914, at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, I 
saw from Herve the church and several houses in the market square 
of the village of Battice burning. This village is situated about 2 
miles from Herve, we could not go there because the Germans were 
in between. 

On the 8th August at about 9 a.m., whilst the German foot soldiers 
were burning Herve (they burnt altogether about 327 houses between 
the 8th and 10th August) I saw some mounted men ride along the 
footpaths and shoot with their revolvers in at doors and windows of 
the houses as they passed. 

It was common knowledge that on that day, namely, 8th August, 
the Germans having passed quietly through Herve but for the incident 
mentioned above, on finding their road blocked owing to the re- 
sistance of Fleron, one of the Liege forts, returned to Herve, and, 
enraged at such resistance, fired indiscriminately in all quarters of the 

town, and in the Rue de la Station they shot Mme. G , hitting 

at close range although she had a crucifix in her hand, begging 
for mercy. The body was left exposed in the roadway for three 
days. 

About 50 men escaping from the burning houses were seized and 
taken outside the town and shot. 

The German stafE officers who were staying in my hotel told my 
wife that the reason why they had so treated Herve was because the 
inhabitants of the town would not petition for a passage of the Germans 
at Fleron. 

The able-bodied citizens were requisitioned by the German to fight 
the fire, and while they were so doing the Germans gave themselves 
up to pillage and loaded motor cars with everything of value they 
could find. 

At Melen, a hamlet of Labouxhe-Melen on the west of Herve, 40 
men were shot. 

In the case of one family the father and mother were shot, and a 
daughter of 22, having been outraged, died because of the violence 
she had received. A son was wounded by several shots. 



Belgian Soldier. 

About 4tli August, I am not sure to a clay or so, near Vottem we 
were pursuing some Uhlans. I saw a man, woman, and a girl about 9, 
who had been killed. They were on the threshold of a house, one on 
the top of the other, as if they had been shot down, one after the 
other, as they tried to escape. The same day, or the day after, I was 
on patrol duty. The members of the patrol were not of my class, and 
I do not know their names. Near Vottem we found an old man of 
about 70 hanging from a tree. The Uhlans had just passed. The 
same day we found another man, a civilian, lying dead in the road. 
He had been shot. 

After the battle of Liege I saw the Germans bayoneting the Belgian 
wounded as they — the Germans^ — advanced. I was about 300 yards 
off. I saw seven or eight so killed. 



a 3 

Vottem. 



Belgian Refugee. 

On the 5th August last I was taken prisoner by the Germans 
together with five other men (names given) in the cellar of my house. 
The Germans who took us prisoners belonged to the 35th and 56th 
regiments, and two of them came actually into the cellar, but in the 
street outside there were very many more. Our arms were tied 
behind our back. We were marched off in the direction of Melen. 
There were about 200 of us prisoners altogether. When we had gone 
about a mile three men tried to escape. One only got about 40 yards 
before he was shot down. After this two others escaped and I have 
not seen them since. Just before we got to Melen I saw a woman 
with a child in her arms standing on the side of the road on our left 
hand side watching the soldiers go by. Her name was G . . ., aged 
about 63, and a neighbour of mine. A German officer was marching 
beside us on our left. The officer asked the woman for some water 
in good French. She went inside her son's cottage to get some and 
brought it immediately. We had stopped. The officer went into 
the cottage garden and drank the water. The woman then said 
when she saw the prisoners, " Instead of giving you water you dsserve 
to be shot." The officer shouted to us " March." We went on, 
and immediately I saw the officer draw his revolver and shoot 
the woman and child. One shot killed both. This took place at 
about 9 o'clock a.m. We went on to Melen and were kept there 
till 5 p.m., when we were let go. On my way back I saw the 
dead bodies of the woman and child still lying where they had been 
shot. 

When I returned I found my house had been burnt down. The 
Germans were still round my house. They invited me to go and sleep 
with them in the field near by, which I did. On the next day every 
man in the village was taken prisoner. There were 57 of them, they 
were taken into a field belonging to a man named J. E . . . An 
officer said, " You shot at us." One of us asked if he might say a 
few words. His name was J. R, . . . He said, " If you think these 
people have fired, kill me, but let all these men go." He said this 
in German. The officer answered by ordering his men to fire. His 
men were drawn up facing the prisoners, who were drawn up 
in three ranks. The soldiers fired a volley and killed many, and 
then fired twice more. Then they went through the ranks and 
bayoneted everyone still living. I saw many bayoneted in this 
way. 

I was not among these prisoners because one of the German soldiers 
told me what was going to be done and advised me to hide. I went 
into a house which the Germans had already searched, and which 



a4 
Soumagne, 
&c. . 



6 

backed on to the field, and saw everything from one of the windows. 1 
was alone in this house, but there was a woman in the cellar, I stayed 
in this house for about 5 hours until about 4 p.m. I walked in the 
direction of my house, which was about 200 metres away. On the 
way I saw about 20 dead bodies lying here and there along the road. 
One of them was that of a little girl aged 13. The rest were men, 
and most of them had had their heads bashed in. There were German 
sentries everywhere. In one case a man's body and those of his 
three sons were lying at the door of his house. This man had been a- 
gravedigger. I know of nothing having been done to annoy the. 
Germans. 

Belgian Eefugee (Boy). 

On the 5th August of this year the Germans came into the village- 
(Soumagne) at midnight. There were 165 infantry and 35 cavalry. I 
live with my mother and sister. We were at the time in the cellar of the 
cafe next door. The Germans passed and then trained and fired 
(rifle) on the village. About half an hour after the Germans came, 
several of them came shouting and yelling to the cafe. They broke 
the windows and broke the door. My mother went out of the cellar 
door. I heard the soldiers cry " halt," then I heard a shot and my 
mother fell back into the cellar. She was killed. There were 12: 
others with me in the cellar. The firing lasted until 7 o'clock in the 
morning. About two miles from Soumagne is Fort Fleron, which is- 
one of the Liege forts. The Germans were under fire from Fort Fleron. 
After the firing had gone on a short time I left the cellar and hid in a 
hedge. The village was between Fort Fleron and the German position. 
I stayed in the hedge for some time and then went into a house to 
hide. As soon as I got inside I was taken prisoner by sis or seven 
Germans who came and searched it and took all inside prisoners. Our 
arms were bound — we were roped togther. About 40 of us altogether. 
The guns from the fort were firing on us and five of us were hit. The 
Germans took us to Labouxhe . There a priest told us that the Germans 
were going to keep the eight youngest and let the rest go on condition 
that they did not disclose the position of the German troops. I was 
the youngest, but they did not take me. I was freed with the 31 
others. 

I went to Fecher, where I was taken prisoner by the German sentries. 
One of the sentries showed me a small revolver which he said was 
mine. It was .not, I was with six others. We were put in a corner 
of the church. An officer came to me with an open razor. He said 
in French, " I am going to cut your throat with this." One of my 
companions shrugged his shoulders at this and the officer told one 
of the German soldiers to shoot him, which he did. We were then 
bound. There were 40 of us in the church and we were taken out 
of the church and marched with a large number of others towards 
Fort Fleron. On the way I saw a large number of corpses of Belgian 
women and men. I knew a large number of the bodies. Two young 
men I knew (aged respectively 18 and 22) of Fecher, both told me 
afterwards that they had been used as a screen by the Germans and 
had been fired on by the Belgians and very many killed. We were 
taken to Bailer * where we were taken into a field. There were 265 
of us and an officer told us that we were aU going to be killed. One 
of them was my schoolmaster. The Germans then took us to an 
old fort named La Chartreuse. We remained there for 24 hours and 
were given nothing to eat. We were let go and I returned home. On 
the way I saw the bodies of two men whom I knew, I got home and 
went into the cellar. Everything had been burnt, I went to try and 
find my sister but was again taken prisoner with the vicar of Micheroux . 

* ? 



After five hours we were let loose again. I went to Liege and there on 
August 22nd I saw many bodies in the Rue Chartreuse. I do not 
know the names of them. I did not see them shot. 

Belgian Soldier. 
On 5th August 1914 my regiment was stationed at Herstal. In a 6 
the main street of the village, near a corner house, I saw lying the Herstal. 
dead bodies of a man, a woman and two children. The villagers told 
me they had been murdered by the Germans after the battle was over. 

Belgian Refugee. 

On the first Wednesday of the war some German soldiers, belonging a 7 
to the 16th and 23rd Regiments of Infantry, came to the town, and Blegny 
made all the civilians leave their houses, and took all of them to the Trembleur, 
church. They had visited and searched my father's house (where ^°- 
I hved) but found nothing. They seemed enraged by the firing 
from the forts of Barchon. After two hours the women and children 
were allowed to leave the church. The men, about 280 in number, 
among whom were my uncle and myself, were kept in church all 
night, and at 6 o'clock on the following morning we were all taken 
to Hakoister with the two regiments above-named. There we were 
placed in rows of fours, and some cannon were placed alongside of 
us, and they were fired in the direction of the forts of Barchon. At 
the time there were no Belgian soldiers in view ; and the only object 
m firing upon the forts was in order tuat the forts might reply, and 
thus hit some of the civiHan prisoners. They did not reply. We 
were then told that we should be shot and that we could confess to 
the rector of the parish, who was one of our number. 

The soldiers then went in front of us, and presented their rifles 
at us ; but just as they were about to shoot an ofdcer arrived on 
horseback and said " Halt." The soldiers then lowered their rifles. 
We were then made to walk to Battice, 6 or 7 miles distant. Before 
starting from Hakoister, the first seven prisoners were tied together 
with cords. On arrival at Battice we were taken to a field, and were 
told to keep our eyes on these seven men. The five inner men were 
then shot dead, and the two outer men were sent back amongst the 
other prisoners. I cannot explain why the particular five were 
selected. I heard no complaint made against them. 

Just outside Hakoister my uncle, who suffered from heart disease 
and whom we were helping along, said " I cannot go any further, 
leave me here." We placed him at the side of the road and went on. 
I did not see him again till the next morning. 

We were then taken to a place called Chaussee d'Herve, where we 
saw some Belgian soldiers in the distance. The German soldiers then 
knelt down behind the civilians, and fired over our heads in the 
direction of the Belgian soldiers. The Belgians then fired, and two 
of the civihans were wounded. When, however, they saw the civiHans 
m front of the German soldiers they ceased firing, and retreated. The 
above-named two wounded civihans were shot dead the following day 
by German soldiers. 

The civihan prisoners were on the next day taken into a field, 
and compelled to lie down. I saw four of the prisoners, viz. :— 
my uncle, two others whom I knew, and a man whom I did not know, 
tied together, and prodded with the bayonets ; my uncle bled at the 
leg from being thus wounded ; and then I saw some of the soldiers 
place lighted cigarettes in each of these prisoner's ears and nostrils. 
1 asked a German officer to release my uncle and he rephed that if 
he had not fired on them he would be Hberated. When I had not 
seen my uncle for some time I asked a German officer in French where 



a 8 
Hamoix. 



my uncle was, and told him that he had heart disease, and he replied 
in French, " It will be all right ; he will come back to you." I after- 
wards put the same question to the Doctor, and he gave the same 
reply. 

We then left the field, and marched towards Julemont, and were 
alterwards placed in another field near Julemont, and remained there 
for 24 hours. We were given no food or drink ; and many of the 
prisoners began to lose their reason. One of the prisoners, who was 
a doctor in the Red Cross, then spoke to a German doctor, and shortly 
afterwards we were allowed to go free. I again asked a German 
officer about my uncle, and he replied that I would find him all right. 

On the next day I went back to this field, and there found my 
uncle and the three other men who had been bound together, and 
I saw that they had all been shot dead. I then brought my uncle's 
body to Blegny, and there buried him. 

He was never accused of molesting the Germans, but he was shot 
because he was too feeble to walk. 

At Blegny I was warned to flee from the place because the German 
cavalry were coming, and would kill anybody they met. I then 
went to Hakoister, and was again captured, but was only kept for a 
few minutes, and then allowed to go on again, I went back to Blegny. 
I there saw four bodies covered with sheets. I was about 100 metres 
away. I was told that the bodies were those of K. . . ., H. K . . ., 
and the burgomaster, and the priest. As to the shooting of K . . ., 
some of the people said the Germans had accused him of giving in- 
formation to Belgian soldiers about the forts ; and another reason- 
was the possession by him of a large number of revolvers. These 
revolvers had not, however, been officially tested. With regard to 
the priest, the people said he had been accused of sending telephone 
messages to Belgian troops from his church. 

Belgian Refugee. 

Between the 5th and 6th August, a German regiment, namely, 
the Death's Head Hussars, came to the cafe tenanted by A. . . .'s 
father in Hamoir. The young man, A . . ., 19 years of age, was 
standing at the door at 9 o'clock at night. When he saw the Germans 
he went indoors, and the Germans tried to get in. They shot three 
bullets through the door, and the boy was killed outright. I was 
about 200 yards away, and saw the Germans shoot at the door. I 
afterwards saw a coffin, and was informed that it contained the body- 
of the young man, and I attended his funeral. 

I produce four photographs of portions of a house at Hamoir, 
belonging to a Dutchman. This house was unoccupied when the- 
Germans arrived, and they pillaged and stole everything of value,, 
and smashed the furniture. 



a 9 
Soumagns 

&c. 



Belgian Refugee. 
About the beginning of the war, on a Thursday, about 3 or 4 
o'clock in the afternoon, I was on the Chaussee leading from Liege 
to Aix-la-Chapelle. I saw a German soldier fixing on a man whom 
I knew, about 28 years of age, who was carrying a baby in his arms. 
He was running away on the Chaussee. He fell dead as a stone. 
The child was not hurt. Afterwards three German soldiers came 
up, that is to say, the soldier mentioned above and two others. They 
followed the wife of the aforementioned man, who also was running 
away on the Chaussee. One of the soldiers hit her in the stomach 
with the butt end of his rifle. Two others also hit her but these 
blows were not serious. As for me, I went back into my house, 
which is on the Chaussee a 100 yards further down. I went into the 
loft. There is a little window in the roof of the loft. I looked out 



9 

of this Jittle window and I saw a man whom I knew shot. There 
were a lot of German soldiers in the middle of the village and he was 
shot by these soldiers. He fell dead on the spot. He was about 
28 years of age. I then took refuge in the cowshed and stopped 
there till about 2 o'clock in the morning. Then about 20 Germans 
came and set fire to my house. Five or six days afterwards two 
women met me on the road to Hayne. I know them both. One told 
me that the Germans had raped her in her house at Hayne near 
Soumagne and the other told me the same. The women were both 
together when they were raped. They were raped by a great many 
Germans. One of the women told me that the house was quite 
full of them. They told me finally that their husbands had been 
shot together with 35 others near their house after they had been 
raped. I saw 56 corpses of civiHans in a meadow at Soumagne on 
the night when my house was burnt. There were only men and 
a few boys ; no women. Some had been killed by bayonet thrusts 
and others by rifle shots. In the heap of corpses above mentioned 
was that of the son of the burgomaster. His throat had been cut 
from ear to ear and his tongue had been pulled out and cut off. I 
did not see his tongue. It was not in his mouth. In another meadow 
300 or 400 yards off I saw 19 corpses of civihans, men and boys. 
I helped to bury the corpses of the first heap of 56 of which I have 
spoken. We put 44 of them in a pit in the meadow itself and the 
others in the cemetery. 

Belgiak Relugee. 
August 6th, in Herstal, I saw a civilian shot by German soldiers. jr^^^R^i 
This was about 1 a.m. At this time the Belgian soldiers were 400 to 
500 metres away. They were then retreating. The soldiers who 
shot the civilian were 40 to 50 yards from the place where he was. 
There was constant firing by the regiment Kaiser Wilhelm, No. 90. 
In the morning I saw 30 civilians, old men mostly, one woman ; this 
woman was married to a mechanic, who was also shot. I also saw 
the body of a child. These people were shot in their houses, the 
doors of which had been broken in. I myself and many others went 
in to look at these victims. This was at 5 to 6 a.m. on the morning 
of August 6th. The Belgian soldiers came back at 4.30 a.m. and 
shot five Germans. The whole of the Germans (about 30) who had 
been firing from the houses were killed except 8 who were taken 
prisoners three days after. 

Belgian Soldier. 
On August 6th I was serving at Herstal near Liege. We were ^ H 
fighting a rearguard action with the Germans. In the course of this 
fighting we passed a house, in front of which were the bodies of a 
woman and two men. The house was a small one. We marched 
past the house in column. The rear part of the column — about 300 
men — stopped and went up to the bodies. The woman was about 
60. She had been killed by a bayonet wound in the chest. The body 
was covered in blood and so was the ground near it. The men were 
about 55 and 25 years of age. The body of one of the men — the elder 
one — was lying across that of the woman, and the two bodies were 
lying in the door of the house. The body of the younger man was 
lying in front of the house, about two metres away from those of 
the woman and the other man. Both the men had been bayoneted 
in the chest. About 4 metres in front of the bodies of the woman 
and elder man was the body of a Belgian soldier who had been 
bayoneted, and just inside the door was the body of another soldier. 
He had been shot. 



10 

Belgian Refugee 

On the arrival of the German troops in the village of Micheroux, 
during the time when the fort of Fleron was holding out, they came 
to a block of four cottages, and having turned out the inhabitants, 
set the cottages on fire and burnt them. 

From one of the cottages a woman (name given) came out with a 
baby in her arms, and a German soldier snatched it from her and 
dashed it to the ground, killing it then and there. 

Belgian Refugee. 
a 13 When the district of Herstal was occupied by the Germans, I was 

Herstal. employed, together with many other inhabitants of the Commune, 
in picking up the wounded, Belgians and Germans alike, on the battle- 
field, so that they might be taken to the National Factory. The 
Germans were in occupation of the battlefield. I saw them fire on 
four civilians who were engaged in picking up the wounded. They 
were killed on the spot. Their names are unknown to me. They 
had done nothing to justify their being killed. Twenty civilians 
were killed in this way ; at least I am so informed. I saw killed only 
the four mentioned above . At thi s time, with the exception of wounded 
men, there were no Belgian soldiers in the Commune or the district. 

Belgian Soldier. 
a 14 On 7th August I was in some trenches by the side of the road in 

■^\®?® front of Liege, after the battle of Belle Flamme. People were coming 
along the road from Vise, flying before the Germans. We saw a boy 
of about 12 with a bandage where his hand should be. We asked 
what was the matter, and were told the Germans had cut his hand 
off because he clung to his parents, who were being thrown in the 
fire. Personally, I only saw the bandage. We also saw a mother 
and her little girl with a bandage on the latter's head. The mother 
told us the child's ear had been cut off by the Germans, " for listening 
to their orders," they said. The girl was about 10 years old, and. 
could not have understood the orders. She was a Walloon. 

Belgian Refugee. 
a 15 On August 11th the 36th infantry regiment, and the 40th artillery 

Hermalle. regiment of the German Army came through the Rue des Champs 
at Hermalle. The soldiers lay down in an oat- field and I gave them 
drinks. 

Meanwhile another regiment came through on its way to Haccourt, 
with empty lorries. 

These men fired on the fugitives who were coming along the road 
from Haccourt with their parish priest, whose name I do not know. 

A woman of Hermalle was shot down, but not kiUed. She is all 
right again now. 

The soldiers next forced the parish priest to get up on a cart ; 
they tied him up and took him off to Haccourt. It appears that he 
was shot on his arrival at Haccourt : so I was informed three days, 
afterwards at Haccourt. 

A young man got away during the filing which I have spoken of. 
He was injured in the head and had a bullet in his left arm. I helped 
him to get his coat on near M . . .'s house. 

There was no justification on military grounds for the firing. 

The civilians neither fired on the soldiers nor did anything con- 
trary to the laws of war. 

Three hundred and sixty-eight of us were imprisoned in Hermalle 
church for 17 days. Only the men were imprisoned. We were only 



11 

prisoners at night ; during the day we were compelled to dig trenches 
for the defence of the place. The Germans compelled us to do so. 

Belgian Refugee. 

The Germans entered Vise on 4th August. 

The first house they came to as thej^ entered the town they burned, a 16 
It was a medium-sized private residence. There was no firing from Vise, 
this house, nor any shooting by civilians at all in Vise, I know of no 
reason for the burning, any more than for the killing of civilians. 

On the 14th and 1 5th August the Germans burnt practically all 
the houses in Vise. I saw commissioned officers directing and super- 
vising the burning. It was done systematically with the use of 
benzine spread on the floors and then lighted. In my own and 
another house I saw officers before the burning come in with their 
revolvers in their hands, and have china, valuable antique furniture, 
and other such things removed. This being done, the houses were 
hy their orders set on fire. On the morning of 15th August, tvv^o 
officers inspected my house, and finding there were things worth 
taking, they wrote and signed a paper directing the house to be 
spared and pinned it on the door. [Exhibited.] Then when the 
valuables had been removed the place was burnt down. I took the » 
paper off the door and preserved it. 

Belgian Refugee. 

About the 11th or 12th of August the Germans occupied Heure a 17 
ie Romain, which is nea.r Oupeye. For two days they stayed there Heure le 
and behaved quite politely to the inhabitants. The Germans then l^omain. 
discovered a building on the door of which had been placed some 
notices with reference to a cyclists' club. This notice was signed 
by the burgomaster of the place and a priest who was the honorary 
president of the club. It had been placed there before the war. On 
finding this notice they made all the inhabitants go into the church, 
among them even old men who had not been out of bed for over six 
years. They kept them there for 24 hours. 

The Germans then sent for the burgomaster and the priest who 
had signed the notice and they demanded that 25 of the cyclists 
whose names had appeared on the notice at the school should be given 
up to them to be shot. The burgomaster and the priest refused to 
do this. It was not the burgomaster himself who was there, as he 
was ill, but it was the burgomaster's brother v\^ho came in his place. 
The priest said to the Germans that he was not going to give them 
any names, but if they wanted to shoot anybody they could shoot him. 

The burgomaster's brother and the priest were then taken and 
placed against the wall of the church and bayoneted by the Germans. 
I did not see the actual killing myself. I understand the excuse for 
killing these people was that the notice about the cychsts' club was 
a military one. It was nothing of the sort, only a pleasure excursion. 

I saw the people all put into the church by the Germans. I was 
hiding in the fields at the time. I then went back to my house at 
Oupeye. The next day I came back to Heure le Romain and saw 
that the whole village had been burnt. 

On my return to Heure le Romain I saw a man and his wife and 
his infant son and his mother-in-law hiding in a garden. They were 
about 200 metres from where I was. The Germans approached and 
I heard shots. Subsequently I passed quite close to where the shots 
had been fired, and there I saw the bodies of the man and his wife 
and the baby. I heard afterwards that the baby was not kiUed but 
was taken charge of by the Red Cross people, whose hospital had 
been established in the Fabrique Nationale, which is at Herstal. The 
baby, so I was informed, eventually died at this hospital, but before 



12 

he died photographs were taken of the injuries which had been done 
to him. These photographs are in the possession of the head of the 
E.ed Cross at Herstal. 

Belgian Refugee. 
a 18 In the month of August I came back frotn Haccourt to Vouche.* 

Vaux (?) ji^i Vouche I met a squadron of Uhlans and artillery. I saw them 
about 300 metres away. The Uhlans had a device of a skull and 
crossbones on their shakos. The artillery was firing on the fort of 
Pontisse just outside Liege. When I saw the Uhlans and the artillery 
I hid myself behind a hedge. From there I saw two young Belgian 
civilians, about 18 to 20 years old, working in the field. I heard the 
Uhlans shouting at these two men but I could not understand what 
they said. The two Belgians did not seem to understand what was 
said, and as they paid no attention, the Uhlans fired at them and 
wounded both of them. I saw them both fall, I then saw some 
of the artillerymen dig a trench, quite a shallow one. They put the 
bodies of the two civilians into this trench and covered them with 
earth. The earth did not cover the bodies more than a few inches. 
I was from 200 to 300 metres away from this grave, but I could see 
quite distinctly all that happened. The Germans took the bodies 
by the head and the heels, and I could see quite plainly that they 
were not dead, as their arms were moving up and down stiU. I am 
certain the men were not dead when they were buried. 

Belgian Refugee. 
a 19 One day — about a fortnight after the war began — I went from 

Flemalle jy^j j^gme at Seraing to Flemalle Grande to get some wire ; after 
Grande. getting the wire I proceeded to my home at Seraing. About half- 
way between Flemalle Grande and Jemeppe there is an inn called 
" Compagne de Flemalle." As I approached the inn I saw some 
German foot soldiers. I do not know to what regiment they belonged, 
but they wore helmets with spikes. There were about 14 of them 
and they were placing four men and a woman up against the wall 
of the inn. The men were unknown to me ; but I knew the woman ; 
she lived with her husband in a house next door to me. I cannot 
remember her husband's name, but since I came to England I have 
seen her ; I saw her at Aldwych. 

After placing them against the wall, the soldiers went a little 
distance from them, then shot the four men. They did not shoot 
the woman, though they had placed her in the middle with two of 
the men on each side of her. She cried and fell on her knees and 
begged for mercy and they did not shoot her. The shots did not 
kill the men, and they lay groaning on the ground and the soldiers 
then went up to them, killed them outright with their bayonets. 

Two of the soldiers tried to kiss the woman ; but she resisted and 
escaped from them and ran into her house. I saw no more and went 
on my way home. I was alone, and so far as I could see there was no 
one about. 

I never heard the names of the four men who were shot or how 
it came about that they were shot. 

Belgian Refugee. 

a 20 K . . ., in addition to his ordinary business, opened a large cafe, 

Blegny ^t the rear of which was a large dancing saloon, which adjoined his 

Trembleur. ^Qj-jj^gj^op (^t Blegny Trembleur). He had only been in occupation 

of this cafe nine weeks when war was declared. K . . . had 10 

children, four daughters and six sons. 

* ? Vaux. 



13 

The German soldiers had an engagement near my home on 
the 4th August ; it was the first engagement between the Belgian 
and the German troops in the war. During the following fortnight 
the Germans came to and from the town, and they had had drink at 
the oaf 6. 

On the 15th August (Our Lady's Day) some 300 to 400 Germans 
arrived. I think they belonged to the 64th Regiment of Infantry. 
Prior to this date K . . . had opened the dancing saloon for the 
reception of wounded soldiers, under the Belgian Red Cross, and there 
had been some German wounded soldiers there. On the 15th August, 
however, there were no wounded soldiers in the place. The German 
wounded had only been allowed to remain there for a few days, and 
were then sent away by their own people. 

On the 15th August K . . . told me that the major of the German 
troops had come to the cafe that day and ordered him to put all the 
drink into the cellar, and he asked him and his brother to sleep out- 
side the cellar. There was then, however, not much drink left, as 
the German soldiers had previously taken a lot of wine and champagne 
from the cafe. Some of them had paid for what they had, but the 
majority did not pay. K . . . and his brother spent the night 
outside the cellar door. 

On the next morning the 16th August, K . . .* and his brother 
were taken off as prisoners, together with the Burgomaster (A. R . . .) 
and the priest (R. L . . .), and were taken to the church. They were 
then placed against a wall, and all four shot by the German soldiers. 
I did not see K . , . and his brother shot, but I was informed of this 
by some friends. We heard the sound of the shots. 

K . . . had been accustomed to make revolvers for some big 
manufacturers at Liege, and when the Germans arrived he had 15,000 
unfinished " Bull Dog " revolvers in his workshop. He had no 
cartridges. K . . . had previously been ordered by the Senator of 
Liege and a German officer to nail up the doors of the workshop, and 
this was done. I was present when the order was given. K . . . 
employed 128 workmen, but they worked in their own houses. The 
whole of K . . 's stock of revolvers were taken by the Germans. 
I saw them taken away. Just after we heard the noise of the soldiers 
shooting their prisoners. I heard some of the Germans charging their 
revolvers, and three of them came upstairs with the revolvers in their 
hands, and told us to leave the house at once, as they were going to 
burn everything. K . . .'s wife asked for permission to take her 
money (8,000 francs), but the Germans refused to let her do this. 
The house was then burned down. 

I had to leave the house with only my trousers on, and a coat. 
K . . .'s little boy only had his night shirt on. The whole family then 
went to my cousin's house. 

HaK an hour later, after the Germans had left, I went out to find 
K . . . I saw his dead body, and the dead bodies of the other three 
men. One of K . . .'s hands had been slashed, and the fingers 
were nearly severed from the hand. I also saw that he had two 
bayonet wounds in his breast. I did not notice the condition of the 
other three men, but was afterwards told that they had also been 
stabbed in the breast with a bayonet. 

, K . . . had had in his possession four certificates, which he kept in 
his pocket book. The first was from a German officer who had come 
to the cafe with a Senator of Liege, stating that K . . . was allowed 
to pass through the troops to fetch provisions. The second certificate 
stated that K . . , was allowed to retain his weapons in his workshop. 
The third was from the Burgomaster, to the effect that K . , . be- 
longed to the Red Cross. The fourth was from a Belgian doctor, 
* See a 7. H. K . . . of that deposition is the brother. 



u 

to the same effect. I afterwards looked in K . . .'s pocket book, 
and found that they were not in it. They had not taken his money, 

Belgian Refugee. 
a 21 On the 16th of August the Germans took me prisoner at my house 

Flemalle (^^^^ Flemalle Grande) at 6 o'clock in the morning. They took off all the 
Grande. civilians to the square of Profond-Val, 200 in all ; they cleared all the 
women out of the houses so as to search and pillage them. 

The soldiers told us that we were going to be shot if the fort of 
Flemalle did not surrender by midday. It did surrender at midday, 
and they let us go at 12.30. 

On my way home I met Mrs. D . . ., a neighbour. She told me 
that some German soldiers had driven her daughter up into the loft 
to rape her. She was 8J months gone in pregnancy. Two of them 
raped her. The child was born the following day. The woman 
tried to go up after her daughter, but the Germans stopped her with 
their bayonets. The daughter's Christian name is J . . ., but I do 
not know her married name. 

The same day a girl of 16 named W . . . told me that two Germans 
had raped her. She was too weak to resist them. This happened in 
her house. 

Belgian Soldier. 
a 22 On or about the 16th August, after the fall of Liege, my regiment 

Ans. was left behind guarding some of the forts. The German Army had 
gone forward towards Namur, following owe retreating army. Ouj 
regiment then followed the Germans along the route they had taken. 
I, with three others, J. B . . ., Corporal V . . ., and one other, a 
Fleming, whose name I forget, v/ere on patrol duty thrown out on our 
left as we marched. We were passing the flying ground outside Liege 
at Ans when I saw a woman, apparently of middle age, perhaps 28 to 30 
years old, stark naked, tied to a tree. At her feet were two little 
children about three or four years old. All three were dead. I believe 
the woman had one of her breasts cut off, but I cannot be sure of this. 
Her whole bosom was covered with blood and her body was covered 
with blood and black marks. Both children had been kiUed by what 
appeared to be bayonet wounds. The woman's clothes were lying on 
the grass thrown all about the place. I was near J. B ... at the 
moment we found the woman. I told Corporal V . . . what I had 
seen later on. I was marching on the outside of the patrol — on grass 
land, B . . . being next to me and the corporal closest to the regiment. 
J. B . . . cut the cords which held the woman up by stabbing them 
with his bayonet. The body fell and we left it there. We could not 
stop to bury the bodies because we could see the Germans following. 
Between the road and the tree to which the woman was tied were some 
buildings and yards so that the body could not be seen from the road. 

Cook. 
a 23 On the 14th July I left Nouzon to go to a place in Germany. I 

Liege. embarked on a barge which belonged to the man to whom I was en- 
gaged to be married. I was going to pay a visit to his family. We 
proceeded down the Meuse in this barge and arrived at Liege on or 
about the 3rd August. 

About a fortnight after we had arrived at Liege I was paymg a 
visit on shore in order to buy some provisions. I went into the shop 
of a pork butcher in a street near the Place de I'Universite. Opposite 
this shop there was a fruit shop kept by a Spaniard. While I was 
making my purchases in the butcher's shop I saw the Germans go into 
the shop kept by the Spaniard and shoot the Spaniard and his shopman. 
I know of no reason why this was done. I do not know the names of 



15 

the Spaniard and his shopman. I saw the wife of the proprietor of the 
shop come rmming down into the shop with nothing on but her chemise. 
She was pushed outside by the Germans. I then ran away myself 
because I was afraid. The same night that this happened I left Liege 
on foot and went as far as Maestricht. 



Belgian Refugee. 

On Thursday the 20th August 1914, at about 8 a.m., a company of a 24 
German soldiers being the 1st company of the 26th Regiment of In- 
fantry of the garrison of Aix-la-Chapelle under the command of 
Lieut. Schmidt, arrived in my street (in Liege). This of&cer was after- 
wards billeted at my house and his name was written on the outside 
of the door. The soldiers brought with them a wagon which I thought 
contained ammmiition, and left it near my house after taking out the 
horses and moving them further up the street. The people were all 
ordered to be inside their houses by 7 p.m. 

At 9.20 p.m. the same day while Lieut. Schmidt was sitting with me 
in my cellar kitchen, eating his supper, I heard the sound of some shots 
coming from the bottom of the street. The lieutenant, who had his 
revolver beside him on the table, rushed out of my house. I bolted 
the door after him. 

In front of my house was No. 2, Rue des Pitteurs which was then 
unoccupied, the occupant having left. The next house No. 4 was 
also unoccupied. No. 6 was occupied by a man about 55 years of 
age and his wife (who was grey haired). The two windows of my 
kitchen are barred on the outside and I looked out of the window 
and could see that on the path were lined up a number of German 
soldiers. 

At about half an hour after Schmidt had left my house I saw some 
of the soldiers break open the door of No. 2 and throw into, the house 
some benzine which I saw them take from the wagon in front of my 
house. I then heard someone call out " Trak " and immediately the 
soldiers fired into the house ; there was an explosion, and immediately 
the house caught fire. I at once took refuge in my cellar and through 
a little hole could still see what was happening. Sir. and Mrs. G . . . 
immediately came out of their house, the man in front and the woman 
close behind. Immediately they appeared the soldiers fired at them 
and killed them. Neither the man nor his wife had any arms and had 
given no provocation whatever. The soldiers were all of the 26th 
Regiment. I did not see Lieut. Schmidt but I have no doubt he was 
in the street. I repeatedly afterwards heard the order of " Trak " 
given and at once shots were fired. 

When I saw Mr. and Mrs. G . . . shot I and my wife went on to the 
roof of our house and remained there till 3 o'clock the following morn- 
ing. I had a small ladder and placed this from one roof to another 
and eventually got to the roof of a street called Rue de Baviere at 
about 4 a.m. The soldiers after they had fired No. 2, Rue des Pitteurs, 
fired No. 8 in the same way, and then a public school on the same side 
of the street. Then the houses on the other side of the street com- 
mencing from No. 17 were fired ; and by 4 a.m. the whole street was 
on fire, including my own house No.l. 

On the morning of the 21st August Lieut. -General Kolewe issued 
a proclamation which stated that the firing of the houses was in con- 
sequence of some Russian students having fired upon German soldiers. 
There was no truth in this allegation as there were no Russian students 
in the Rue des Pitteurs which was the first street to be attacked. I 
knew the whole of its inhabitants. 

The police had previously visited every house and collected all the 
arms. I am certain that the German soldiers were the first to shoot. 



16 

I should certainly have heard if any shots had been fired by any person 
beforehand. 

There was no possible reason for firing the houses. The only excuse 
I can give is that the Germans had been drinking and I noticed when 
they fired that the soldiers were half drunk. When he was in my house 
I noticed that Schmidt had been drinking. I did not see him after he 
left my house. 

The houses were burning the whole of the next day (21st August) . 
I then discovered that seven persons in all had been killed, namely 
Mr. and Mrs. G . . ., Mr. and Mrs. S . . ., and their daughter aged 21, 
who lived at No. 13 (or 15), R-ue des Pitteurs and two other persons. 
I did not see the bodies of the three S . . . s, but I was informed that 
they had been shot in their cellar, and that there were no less than 
22 bullets in their three bodies. 

Armotjeer. 
a 25 I was employed in an arms factory in Liege. The Germans entered 

Liege about the middle of August. They published orders that no 
intoxicating liquors were to be sold to anyone. The wife of a Liege 
innkeeper, whom I knew well, having fled from her home, came to me 
and told me that after the publication of the order above mentioned 
German soldiers came to her husband's shop and asked for liquors ; 
then he told them that he was forbidden to supply them with any ; 
and that they thereupon shot him in the head with a revolver and 
killed him. She also said that her son (aged 17) was present and that 
he also was shot and killed with a revolver. The innkeeper's wife told 
me that after her husband and son had been killed the Germans set 
fire to the shop. I saw that this shop and indeed many other houses 
in the same street were burned ; and many in other parts of the town. 
Houses were also burned in Rue des Pitteurs and in one house three 
girls were burned or suffocated. One of them did not die at once but 
after removal to hospital. There was no firing on the troops by civilians 
nor any sort of provocation by civiliaais. The Germans did allege 
firing by civilians as their excuse for burning houses, but it was untrue. 
The burgomaster and the chief clergyman of St. Christopher's Church 
complained to the German commandant of the burning of houses, 
and then the Germans engaged in patrolling were changed for men of 
other regiments and there was no more destruction of property. 

Steel Turner 
a 26 I saw many houses in Liege set on fire by German soldiers, although 

I never saw a single shot fired on them from any house or by any 
civilian. 

As the houses were fired the occupants tried to escape, and I myself 
saw four people fall back into their houses suffocated, not daring to 
ventui'e out or they would have been shot by the German soldiers. 
I saw 20 people shot as they were endeavouring to leave their houses. 

Gunsmith. 
a 27 During the occupation of Liege by the Germans I served as a civic 

guard. About the *llth or 12th of August the Germans shot 18 
people, some Russians, some Spaniards and the proprietor of the Cafe 
Carpentier, at the corner of the Rue de la Regence in front of the 
University. They alleged that the foreigners had fired on them ; this 
v,'as untrue. The bodies were taken to the Bourse de Travail. The 
people in question were shot as they were coming away from a students' 
dinner. I also saw all the houses in the Rue des Pitteurs burnt on the 
same night. The Germans burnt them by means of incendiary bombs. 

* This date is inaccurate. 



17 

Most of them were drunk. They made a practice of steaHng wine 
pretty nearly every^vhere. 

Civil Engineer. 

I was at Liege on about August 20th and afterwards. The city a 28 
was perfectly quiet until about 8 p.m. At about 9.15 p.m. I was in bed 
reading when I heard the sound of rifle fire. I at once dressed myself, 
and the noise of the firing came nearer and nearer. About 10 p.m. 
they were shooting everywhere, and I had the impression that several 
thousand men were engaged in shooting at the same time. About 
10.30 p.m. several machine guns were firing and artillery as well. 
About 11 p.m. I saw between 45 and 50 houses burning. There were 
two seats of the fire : the first was at the Place de I'Universite, and was 
composed of eight houses (I was close by at the time) ; the second 
portion on fire was on the other side of the Meuse on the Quai des 
Pecheurs, and there were about 35 houses burning. I heard a whole 
series of orders given in German and also bugle calls, followed by the 
cries of the victims, and I saw women running about in the street with 
children chased by the soldiers. I saw three corpses of women taken 
out of the houses eight days after the city was set on fire ; they had 
been burnt. I know the houses were fired with petrol from my ex- 
perience as an engineer and the way the flames spread. I saw also the 
Belgian firemen who came to put out the fire. I was informed that the 
Belgian firemen were prevented by the Germans from extinguishing 
the fire, and they were obliged to stand up against the wall with their 
hands up. The next day they were allowed to put out the fire. 

On the next morning (August 21st) I saw a workman whom I laiow 
personally. This man lives in the Rue des Pitteurs, in one of the 
houses which was burned down. About 9 p.m. a German rang the 
bell at his house, and immediately the door was opened the Germans 
commenced shooting into the house without hitting anyone ; they 
came into the house with petroleum and set fire to it. Then as the 
men and women were escaping the Germans fired at them, some of 
them being wounded. The men were taken prisoners and the women 
driven away. 

The next morning (August 22nd) of the 40 prisoners which they 
took about 12 were shot ; the rest were allowed to go. 

For the follo"v\dng reasons I conclude that before 5 p.m. the shooting 
was settled upon. I have heard that a German soldier warned a 
concierge not to go out of doors, intimating that something would 
take place in the house. That house was not burnt, but the house 
next door was. Another soldier said to the person who was living 
in the house which was burned that he was warned to leave. In a 
building called " Emulation," 90 German soldiers who were living there 
left at 8 p.m., and the shooting commenced at 9 p.m., the building 
being burned that night. 

Engineer. 
At Liege one evening I saw the Germans burning the houses in the a 29 
Place de I'Universite with tins of paraffin and tar, or something of 
that natiure. I stopped there looking at them from 10 o'clock to half- 
past 11 that night. About half -past 10 I saw a woman and children 
escaping from the houses. The Germans then called out in German, 
which I understand, that the men had got to stop in the houses and, in 
fact, I saw three or four men trying to escape through the doors, but 
the Germans fired on them to stop them leaving. The men (that is to 
say, the three or four of whom I have spoken, and the others who were 
in the houses) were biu-nt. The fire brigade came up to the Place de 
I'Universite immediately after the fire began. The Germans pre- 
vented them from getting their hose pipes to work, saying that they 
would be shot if they did. They said that Avhatever had begun to 



IS 

burn had got to be burnt to the ground. The Germans robbed the 
cellars in Liege pretty nearly everywhere. They also stole goods and 
valuables in 50 houses in the town. My opinion is that they burnt the 
houses to cover up the robberies they had committed there. 

Publican. 
a 30 About the 20th August I was at Liege. About half -past 9 in the 

evening I heard some shots fired. I was at the Hotel de Villa, acting 
as voluntary guard. Patrols were coming in from time to time to the 
Hotel de Ville ; one only failed to put in an appearance. It had been 
caught in the firing. We heard two shots fired by the cannon in the 
citadel. The Germans had been there for about a fortnight. Before 
the cannot shots were fired we heard cries ; it was the crowd shrieking 
in the street. Afterwards we began to see fires in the different dis- 
tricts of the town. About a dozen of the city guard came in and went 
out again with the firemen to put out the fire. I was unwell and 
stopped at the Hotel de Ville. About midnight there was brought 
on a fire department cart a whole heap of corpses of civilians. Bits 
were blown out of their heads. The shots which killed them must have 
been fired at very close range. They were all civilian corpses. I saw 
nothing but men's corpses. There were 17 of them. 

Belgian Soldier. 
a 31 About the 10th of August * I was in the street between the Rue des 

Pitteurs and the R.ue Baswet. There were about 300 Germans of the 
78th Regiment of Infantry in the Rue des Pitteurs. About 20 men 
were going up to each of the houses. One of them had a sort of sjTinge 
Vv'ith which he squirted into the house and another would throw a bucket 
of water in. A handful of stuff was first put into the bucket and 
when the stuff in the bucket was thrown into the house there was an 
immediate explosion. In this way about 80 houses were set on fire. 
All the houses were on one side of the street. They did not burn 
any houses on the other side. Before setting fire to these houses the 
Germans drove any inhabitants there were in them into the cellars. 
All the houses were inhabited, but some of the inhabitants had got 
away before the Germans came up to them. At about 30 of the 
houses, I actually saw faces at the windows before the Germans 
entered and then sav/ the same faces at the cellar windows after the 
Germans had driven the people into the cellars. One set of Germans, 
about 20 in number, would do all this at a house and then set fire to it. 
Altogether this took the whole morning. Before each house was 
burnt it was thoroughly searched by the men who brought out all sorts 
of furniture and put it on to wagons which were waiting outside, I 
also saw some of the men bringing out bags of money and handing 
them to their officers. There were about 30 ofiicers in the street. I 
am quite sure of this. There were also a crowd of Belgian civilians in 
the streets. I actually saw all these houses set fire to. In this way 35 
people were burnt. I know this from the list which was put up in the 
police station afterwards and which I saw. One of the houses which 
Avas burnt was the house of a man I knew. He and two daughters, 
his nephew and niece were burnt there. His wife was away at the 
time. She had gone to Brussels the day before to see her parents. I 
know the family very well. That night I slept at the stationer's and 
on the following morning at 7.30, I went out and walked along the 
Rue des Pitteurs. I walked towards the Place des I'Uni versite. When I 
was in the Place St. Lambert when I heard shooting, I went to try and 
find where it was going on. In the Rue Soens de Hasse I saw civilians 
brought out of their houses. About 150 Germans under eight officers. 

* This date is inaccurate. 



19 

They were paying house to house visits, bringing all the people out of 
the houses and forming them up in the street. I kept some little 
distance away and so did many other Belgians who were with me. 
The Belgians from the houses were marched off to the Place de I'Uni- 
versite between files of soldiers. I followed, keeping about 25 or 30 
metres behind. When the Place was reached the Belgians were not 
formed up in any order, but the Germans fired on them. I heard an 
officer shout an order in German and all the Germans in one part of 
the square fired. The firing was not in volleys and went on for 
about 20 minutes. Whilst this was going on other Germans were 
going into other houses in the square and bringing out more Belgians 
whom they put among those v/ho were being shot. Altogether 32 were 
killed — all men. I counted the bodies afterwards. I saw all this 
from the end of the Rue Soens de Hasse. There were many Belgians 
with me, but none of us were troubled. When I saw any Germans 
coming I got out of the way. I was not in uniform and had my revolver 
in my pocket. After the shooting about seven or eight were finished 
off with the bayonet. Immediately after the men had been killed, I 
saw the Germans going into the houses in the Place and bringing out the 
women and girls. About 20 were brought out. They were marched 
close to the corpses. Each of them was held by the arms. They 
tried to get away. They were made to lie on tables which had been 
brought into the square. About 15 of them were then violated. 
Each of them was violated by about 12 soldiers. While this v/as going 
on about 70 Germans were standing round the women including five 
officers (young). The officers started it. There were some of the 
Germans between me and the women, but I could see everything 
perfectly. The ravisliing went on for about 1| hours. I watched 
the whole time. Many of the women fainted and showed no sign of 
life. The Red Cross took them away to the hospital. 

While this was going on other Germans were burning the houses, 
in the square. The houses were empty of people. I went back to 
the stationer's and got back about 2 o'clock. I heard the Germans 
say that they burnt and shot because they had been fired on by the 
Belgian civilians, but it was untrue. 

Belgian Refugee. 
At Hermalle-sous-Huy, in the month of September, I was in the ^^^\ 
square or " place " in front of the station. There was a squad or Hermalle. 
platoon of German soldiers there in charge of an officer. They placed 
another officer who was with them against a wall. I then saw a woman, 
who keeps a cafe at Hermalle, come out and speak to the officer in 
charge of the platoon. The officer standing against the wall opposite 
to the platoon was then allowed to leave. I was told by the brother 
of the woman that the officer who was standing against the wall had 
violated her daughter, aged about 18, and had been taken in the act 
of violating another daughter of the same lady, aged about 12. It 
was the mother who had surprised the officer violating her daughter. 
The mother made a complaint to the superior officers of the Germans 
and the officer who had committed the act was condemned to be shot. 
He was led out for this purpose in the manner I have described above. 
The woman then came on the scene, and the officer in charge of the 
platoon asked her if she would pardon the other officer. She did not 
.wish to see him killed and said she pardoned him. He was then 
released. The officer was dressed in grey and had a helmet on with a 
spike on the top of it. He belonged to the 32nd Regiment of the Line. 
I know this to be so because I saw the number on the linen covering 
which he wore over his helmet. The other soldiers on the square 
belonged to the same regunent. 



&c. 



20 

Belgian Refugee. 
a 33 I live at Pepinster. I have not served so far in the Belgian army, 

■^^^IT*^^* but I have now volunteered and leave to-morrow to join. 

A large German army was passing through Pepinster on their 
way to Liege and they took as hostages five citizens. The burgo- 
master was not one of them, as he had obtained a substitute, but the 
burgomaster employed us to carry the baggage of all the hostages. 
We therefore marched with this German army and the hostages. 
We went as far as Cornesse and there we spent the night camping in 
a large field. The next day an ojEficer told us that a German soldier 
had been shot in the leg and that he had made a declaration that 
he had been shot by the civilian inhabitants of Pepinster. The five 
hostages and my companion and I were then placed against a hedge 
and we were told that unless we could find the inhabitant who had 
shot the German soldier we should be shot ourselves. One of the 
hostages then said that the German soldier had not been shot in 
Pepinster, but in Cornesse. It appeared that the Germans did not 
know that there were two towns, Pepinster and Cornesse ; the two 
towns are joined together and would appear to be the same place, 
but they have different burgomasters. When the Germans heard 
this explanation they took us and the hostages with them and went 
to find the burgomaster of Cornesse. They found him and placed 
him against a wall in the courtyard of the school and four or five 
German soldiers shot him. He was only hit in the legs and a German 
officer came up and shot him through the heart with his revolver. 
He was an old man and quite deaf. I do not know what his name 
was. I never heard whether it was true that the German soldier 
had been shot by an inhabitant of Cornesse ; some said it was true 
and some said it was not ; some people even said the soldier had shot 
himself so as not to be obliged to fight any more. 

After the burgomaster had been shot we were taken back by the 
Germans to Pepinster and then released. 

About the beginning of October I bicycled from Pepinster to 
Louvenier,* near Spa, which is about a quarter of an hour from 
Pepinster. I did not know the Germans were anywhere near and 
I went to amuse myself. I went into a cafe at Louvenier because 
I heard firing. They told me there that the Germans were bom- 
barding the town because the inhabitants had fired on them. I then 
asked whether I could get away by another road without being taken 
by the Germans. They showed me a little path, which I went along. 
It brought me to a farmhouse about 7 o'clock in the evening. The 
farmhouse was about 10 minutes walk from the cafe. When I got 
to the farmhouse I saw the Germans coming to the farm from the 
main road. I think there were about 100 of them. I went into the 
farm kitchen and found there the farmer, his wife and child, two men, 
and a servant girl. 

The Germans then began to enter the farmhouse. There were 
only three of them. The Germans knocked at the door of the kitchen 
and the farmer, the two men, the girl, and myself all rushed out of 
the kitchen into another room and hid ourselves there in the dark. 
The farmer's wife, who had a baby in her arms which she was suckling, 
was not quick enough to get away and she did not escape with us 
into the room. In order to get to the room next the kitchen we had 
to go outside the house and come round by another way. This 
brought us to a sort of dairy where they made the butter. This dairy 
had no door into the kitchen, but there was a small window in the 
wall of the dairy which looked right in the kitchen. It was a square 
window, about 2 feet 6 inches square. It was a considerable height 

* Lonveigne (?). 



21 

from the floor, over 5 feet. Underneath the window was a bench 
on which the jars for the milk were placed. The glass in the window 
was quite transparent. When we got to the dairy the farmer told 
us we could see everything that happened through this window. 
We took the bench away from underneath the window and stood 
it about 1 metre or more away from the window, so that we should 
not be seen from the kitchen. We all got up on this bench and I 
stood next to the farmer himself. The kitchen was quite bright 
being lit with electric light which is installed all over Louvenier. 
As I looked into the kitchen I saw the Germans seize the baby out 
of the arms of the farmer's wife. There were three German soldiers, 
one officer and two privates. The two privates held the baby and 
the officer took out his sword and cut the baby's head off. The head 
fell on the floor and the soldiers kicked the body of the child into a 
corner and kicked the head after it. When the farmer, who was 
with us in the dairy, saw this he wanted to shout out and go nearer 
the window. The two men and I prevented him from doing this 
as we said we should lose our OAvn lives. One of the men put a cloth 
in the farmer's mouth so that the noise of his weeping should not be 
heard. It takes practically no time to get from the kitchen to the 
dairy by the way we went. We ran round. You could not hear 
anything that was said in the kitchen. We could see that the wife 
was crying, but we could not hear her. 

After the baby had been killed we saw the officer say something 
to the farmer's wife and saw her push him away. After five or six 
minutes the two soldiers seized the woman and put her on the ground. 
She resisted them and they then pulled all her clothes off her until 
she was quite naked. The officer then violated her while one soldier 
held her by the shoulders and the other by the arms. After the 
officer each soldier in turn violated her, the other soldier and the 
officer holding her down. The farmer did not see his wife violated : 
the two men-servants had pulled him down from the bench after 
the baby had been killed, and they would not let him get up again. 
After the woman had been violated by the three the officer cut off 
the woman's breasts. I then saw him take out his revolver and 
point it at the woman on the ground. At this moment the farmer 
broke away from the two men-servants, jumped on to a chair and 
put his foot through the window. The two men-servants and I and 
the servant girl ran away as soon as the farmer had broken the window 
and we know nothing more. We ran into the fields and from there 
saw the farmhouse had been set on fire. 

I never learnt the name of the farmer. I came back to Louvenier 
later, but the town had been bombarded and burnt and there was 
nobody there to speak to. I have never seen the domestics and the 
girl again and I have never been to the farm again. I do not know 
the regiment to which these soldiers belong. They were cavalry 
because they had spurs on. I escaped eventually to Holland with 
my companion C . . . and so came to England. 

Belgian Refugee. 

I live at Pepinster. I have not served in the Belgian Army. I a 34 
have tried to be taken as a volunteer, but they would not take me, 
as there is something wrong with one of my ribs. 

I know the last witness well. I have heard the statement he has 
made with reference to the shooting of the Burgomaster of Cornesse. 
I was with him on the occasion he refers to and saw and heard all 
that he did. I confirm his story in every respect. I was not with 
him when he saw the other incidents he refers to. 

About the beginning of September I was handing in a revolver 



2S 

and gun to the Germans at the railway station at Pepinster. . We 
had all been ordered to do this. A cigar merchant came while I was 
there and handed in a gun. The gun was a sporting gun and it was 
loaded in both barrels. When the Germans found this out they took 
the cigar merchant and shot him immediately and buried him quite 
close to the place where he had been shot. I saw this myself but 
said nothing. I did not dare say anything and I went away as soon 
as I could. 

Enamellee, (British subject), 
a 35 I About the end of August I was in the village of Hermee, which 

Hermee, &c. ig about an hour's walk from Herstal, which is about an hour from 
Liege. Practically the whole of the village of Hermee was wrecked, 
about 142 houses being totally destroyed, which left not more than 
two or three standing. I saw, myself, in this village the bodies of 
two dead Belgian civilians. I did not actually see other bodies, or 
the bodies of women and children, but it was well known to myseK 
and other inhabitants that many others had been killed. The excuse 
given for burning down these houses was that someone in that village, 
or in some other village near by, had fired upon the German soldiers. 
Towards the end of August a woman brought a child to the factory 
where I was working, which had been turned into a hospital. I saw 
the child myself and he had been severely wounded with some sharp 
instrument which was said to be a bayonet. He had been cut right 
up the stomach. The woman who brought the child was not the 
mother. She had picked up the child at a village named Heure 
ie Romain and she told me that the mother of this child had been 
killed by the German soldiers while the baby was in h* arms and 
at the same time her father-in-law and her husband had been killed. 
The child was 5h months old. I know this because I myself saw the 
death certificate. The woman who brought the boy to the hospital 
used to bring him every morning for treatment, and the German 
soldiers who were there used to keep her waiting at least half an hour 
before they would let her take the child to the doctor. This happened 
every morning. I myself protested against this treatment and told 
them that it was their fellow-soldiers who had themselves killed the 
baby's father and mother and injured the child. The baby died about 
10 days after it was first brought to the hospital. I drew out the rough 
copy of the death certificate for the doctor to sign. 

Belgian Refugee. 
a 36 I was employed at the Red Cross Ambulance Station at the Fab- 

rique Nationale at Herstal. I drove the motor ambulance in connec- 
tion with this station. I myself went and picked up the little boy 
of about 4 months old and his grandmother, referred to by the last 
witness, and I confirm what he says with reference to the wounds 
of these two persons. I found these people in a house at Heure le 
Romain, and they were carried by me in the motor ambulance from 
Heure le Romain to Herstal. I understood from statements made 
by the grandmother to officials of the hospital that the child and she 
had been wounded, and the parents of the child killed while sitting 
in a house. 



Andenne. 



23 



VALLIES OF MEUSE AND SAMBKE 

Belgian Reptjgbe. 
On the evening of the 19th August about seven, the Burgomaster ^[^^ 
came to me and asked me if I was willing to take in a wounded man 
who was then lying in a deserted hut right out in the country about 
one mile and a half from my house, I went through with a village 
constable and a peasant. We went in the farm cart belonging to 
Dermine Farm. Near the hut where the wounded man was lying 
there was a company of Belgian soldiers who were unaware that a 
wounded man was there. Near the hut also the body of a German 
soldier was lying, and we learned afterwards that it was that of Lieut, 
de Billow, of Potsdam. Our expedition was not free from danger. 
The country was honeycombed with patrols, both Belgian and German. 
However, we brought back the wounded man to my house, that is to 
say I, the village constable, and the peasant. With the help of some 
inhabitants we carried him into one of my rooms. I attended to his 
injuries, and seeing that he was very bad I sent for the Parish Priest 
about eleven to give him extreme unction as he was a Catholic. I 
watched by his side all night. Next morning about nine a German 
patrol came by and I informed a sergeant who was in charge of it that 
I had got a wounded man at my house. He told me that he would 
inform his commandant, and asked me at the same time where the 
Parish Priest and the Burgomaster lived as he intended to take them 
as hostages. About half an hour afterwards I was visited by an 
infantry commandant, who asked to see the wounded man. He spoke 
to the wounded man in German, which I do not understand, but im- 
mediately after he had spoken to him he thanked me for the care that I 
had taken of him and told me that the dead body which I had spoken of 
above was that of Lieut, de Biilow, of Potsdam. He asked me next 
where the body was to be found. I told him that I had ordered the 
grave-digger to fetch it that very morning and to take it to the ceme- 
tery. He thereupon expressed a desire to see the corpse and asked 
me the way to the cemetery. He went there. The corpse was in the 
grave but the grave was not filled in. He made the grave-digger ex- 
hume it. He took a few articles from the body for use as remem- 
brances and he gave these to me afterwards when he came back to my 
house. It is from his own lips that I received the information which 
I have given relating to the corpse. The articles in question were, a 
general staff map, a pair of gloves, a packet of cigarettes and a note- 
book in which the dead man put down his journal. These were given 
to me by the commandant so that I might send them according to his 
own instructions a fortnight or three weeks afterwards to Madame 
de Biilow, at Potsdam. A priest was present. The commandant 
then left. While he was in my yard one A . . . R . . ., who lives 
near me and is a cabinet maker, came up. Apparently he was wanted 
as a hostage. The commandant then said the country was quite 
quiet : that he thought the Germans and the country people would get 
on quite well and that he should not take any hostages. This was 
about 10 and 11 o'clock on the morning of the 20th. A quarter or 
half an hour afterwards there came a German sergeant on a bicycle. 
He asked me first for a general staff map which the commandant 
professed to have left at my house. I looked for it, but could not find 
it. I then gave him the map which had belonged to Lieut, de Biilow, 
making it plain at the same time that it was the map of the aforesaid 
Lieutenant. As the sergeant left he pointed out fom: houses which were 



24 

l3iirniiig about 200 yards away. As he showed them to me he said : 
' • They say that that's the Germans, but that is not true." I answered : 
" If it is not true, at any rate it is a strange coincidence." Hardly had 
he gone when we saw a patrol arrive under the charge of an infantry 
officer. It came from the direction of the burning houses and it was 
approaching my house over the hedges separating the gardens. I 
think the officer was a lie^itenant. I am sure it was an officer. He 
spoke French excellently well. He burst into my house without ring- 
ing with all his men behind him and according to what he said, he was 
coming to see the wounded man. He spoke to the wounded man in 
German in the presence of his soldiers and when he had finished with 
him he asked me if the wounded man's condition was grave. I told 
him that there was hardly any hope. As he was leaving my house, 
in the passage he said to me abruptly : "I have just been burning 
four houses." I asked him why : " Why ! " he said : " because 
one of the occupants of these houses fired yesterday on the Uhlans." 
I said to him that it was impossible ; that I had seen the Uhlans 
arrive and that I must have heard the crack of the rifle if a shot had 
been fired. These houses are only 200 yards away from me. " More- 
over," said I, " one of your men who had lost his horse went right 
through ,the village without receiving any bad treatment although 
he was absolutely alone. He asked the way his comrades had gone 
and people told him which way they bad gone." "Ah ! " said he, 
" did they really ? — ^At any rate, your people are bad lots. You 
have got lots of Socialists." I said to him : " Well, what about you ? 
Have not you any ? " " Yes," said he, " but your Government is 
social-democratic." I then told him that om- people were quite 
quiet and that he had nothing to fear from them. " At any rate," 
said he, "the Belgians tear the eyes out of our prisoners." I was 
flabbergasted and protested that it was not so. He then said : " It is 
a pity we have to fight the Belgians. Why did not you come in with 
us ? We would have given you a bit of France." I said to him : 
" You could not expect us to do that — what about honour ? Would 
you have taken it on if you had been in our place ? " and the officer 
answered definitely "no." 

My brother-in-law and another man were in the yard of the next 
house at this time. After this the officer went away, telling my 
brother-in-law, who asked him whether doors and windows should 
be kept shut, that there was no necessity to do so. About 4 or •S 
o'clock we were in front of the house in the street, that is to say, 
my brother-in-law, another man, and myself. We were talking 
and we were looking at the sentinel who was stationed on the rail- 
way. At this moment bullets whistled past our ears. There was 
a sharp burst of firing all round and we bolted indoors. The firing 
lasted for about two hours and we thoiTght that it must be that a 
Belgian force had returned to recapture the village. When the firing 
stopped about seven, I ventured out to my window, and I saw the 
villagers running — men, women and children, all of them in the 
direction of the quarries where it was known that there were no 
Germans. I ran out and asked what was the matter. It was not till 
then that I saw the fu-e. The whole of the district round the station 
was blazing. It was one long line of fire for a distance of two miles in the 
direction of the hamlet of Tramaka. On the Andenne side we could see 
the houses of the Namur road and all the little farms which rise one 
above the other on the heights of the right bank burning. We could 
hear firing still going on. Women came by screaming and saying that 
their husbands had been hauled out of the house, and that they did 
7>ot know what the Gennan soldiers had done with them. They also 
said that the soldiers were firing through the openings into the cellars 
and into the ground floor rooms and that whenever they saw a shadow 



25 

of someone, or someone running away, they fired upon it. About nine 
I went off on foot in the direction of Namur. 

I should be able to identify the commandant of whom I have 
spoken above. I think he belonged to the Brandenbourg regiment. 
As for the officer, he was quite young without hair on his face and thin. 
I cannot say if I could identify him. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On Wednesday, the 19th August, from daybreak onwards fighting b 2 
took place between the 8th Belgian Regiment of Line and the German 
Army on the left bank of the Meuse on the heights of Seilles. At 
eight o'clock in the morning Belgian soldiers blew up the bridge of 
Andenne and withdrew under the forts of Maizeret and Marchovelette. 
At 10 o'clock Andenne was entered for the first time by a group of 
about twelve Uhlans, who went up to the bridge and discovered that 
it had been blown up. It is stated that from this moment the Uhlans 
intended to massacre a part of the population. Some inhabitants of 
Andenne, who were near the bridge at the moment when the Germans 
entered, heard them saying, " Andenne massacre." The Germans 
went back by the way they came and retiurned about half an hour 
afterwards. They were accompanied by the burgomaster and went 
to the local tax collector and compelled him to hand over the contents 
of his safe. Shortly afterwards several thousand Germans entered 
Andenne and made arrangements to spend the night there. Everj'-- 
thing was quiet. On Thursday, the 20th August the Germans began 
to build two bridges over the Meuse, taking for this purpose the building 
timber, the iron girders, casks, &c., from the different depots in Andenne 
itself and Seilles. All went well till half-past four in the afternoon, 
when sounds of firing were to be heard on the left bank of the Meuse, 
which was replied to from the right bank. The Belgian troops had been 
removed the night before. It must have been the Germans firing on 
each other. The firing went on incessantly till late in the evening 
It was not so intense during the night, but it did not cease. Severa 
mitrailleuses were put into action in various streets of the town. 
Some of these mitrailleuses were placed on one side of the street so as 
to fire on the house on the opposite side. The Germans were, for the 
most part, drunk, and they were stationed before the houses firing 
with their rifles into the doors and windows. About six o'clock in the 
morning a group of Germans burst into the house where we had taken 
refuge. It was in the principal square of Andenne. We were taken 
with our hands raised above our heads into the squarie, and there 
each of us was searched — men, women and children ; old people, 
sick people and invalids were dragged there from every part of the 
town. The men were lined up on one side and the women on another. 
Three men were shot before our eyes, a fourth was run through by 
a bayonet and drew his last breath in our midst. He was a butcher 
(names given). The first idea of the German colonel (I do not know 
what regiment he belonged to, but this fact has been noted by others) 
was to shoot us all so far as we can tell. However, a young German 
girl from Berlin intervened and begged the colonel to spare us. She 
had been staying a few days at Andenne. The colonel dropped his 
first idea and decided to put 25 soldiers round us and make them 
shoot once apiece into the mass of us. The girl intervened again 
and the colonel thereupon chose out some of us and they were taken 
on to the banks of the Meuse and shot. The colonel accused the 
population of firing on the soldiers. He decided to keep us as hostages 
for some time and threatened to shoot two of us for each shot fired 
by civilians. About 500 of us were taken into three houses, the three 
first houses at the beginning of the bridge which had been blown up. 
It was only when I got there that I learned of the awful massacre which 



26 

had taken place. More than 400 people were shot and massJlcred 
for the most part in the cellars of the houses. The burgomaster, a 
doctor, was wounded in his house and then dragged three or four 
hundred yards to the place where he died. One whole family was 
wiped out with the exception of the women. Eight of their menfolk 
were killed. M . . . de B . . ., a manufacturer, was blown through 
by a mitrailleuse a few yards from his house. His wife picked up his 
body and brought it home in a wheelbarrow. A little later the Germans 
got into her house and ransacked it. They piled up all the eatables 
in the house and relieved themselves upon the heap. Another manu- 
facturer had his throat cut from ear to ear. A spirit dealer had his 
hands cut off at the wrist. A hairdresser was murdered in his kitchen 
when he had a child sitting on each knee. A paralytic was killed in 
his garden. I know many other details of this sort. After the 
massacre the general sack of the town took place. Then the colonel 
wished to compel women and children of less than fourteen years of 
age to bury the dead civilians. Some of us, who had been left free 
in order to arrange about requisitioning, made representations to him 
and he abandoned this project. In the afternoon 40 prisoners were 
called for to dig trenches. They were brought back at night and 
taken out again in the morning and had to bury dead bodies in the 
trenches which they had dug the night before. Dry bread and water 
was all they got to eat. 

On the third day ot our imprisonment there were still dead bodies 
in certain houses. A new search was ordered to be undertaken by 
civilians in all the houses. I, myself, was summoned to take away a 
dead body in the house of an inhabitant. During our detention we 
were forbidden to open windows to let in air. The w.c. and urinals 
were full to overflowing and the whole place was filled with an abomin- 
able stench, On this third day of our detention at seven o'clock in the 
morning we were walked for about an hour and a half on what re- 
mained of the bl own-up bridge. It was rumoured that we were all 
to be killed if the Belgian forts endeavoured to destroy the wooden 
bridge which the Germans had constructed. After this the old people 
and the married men were set free. The young people were kept 
for another day and night. 

A few days after all this happened the Germans wished to make 
their peace with the population, so they got up a " fete nocturne " and 
made bonfires in the Grande Place. At this fete the officials nominated 
by the Germans were compelled to be present. My brother-in-law 
could give you full details of this fete. He told me that the women 
were compelled to go there; that tables were spread and that hot 
wine which had been stolen in the town, was drunk, and that the 
women were compelled to shout " Hoch le Kaiser " and to sing 
" Deutschland uber AUes." 

The civilian population were perfectly quiet. Civilians did not fire 
on the soldiers and did nothing whatever to justify the barbarous 
conduct of the German Army. 

Two days after I was set free the Germans came to my house at 
five o'clock in the morning. In the afternoon I was told that I was 
going to take in some German officers. They arrived and asked me to 
go and find a woman to help them in the kitchen. While I was away 
they found six sporting cartridges in my house. My gun had been 
given up at the Town Hall. Under the pretext that I had concealed 
cartridges the Germans wanted to shoot me, but after threatening me 
for a quarter of an hour they decided not to. They made merry all 
the night with my wine. The list annexed hereto contains some of the 
names of civilians who were murdered at Andenne. 



27 

Belgian Refugee. 

On the 20th August there was violent rifle fixing by the German b 3 
soldiers upon the inhabitants of the village of Seilles, near Andenne, 
and at the same time that the inhabitants were massacred the Germans 
set fire to a great number of houses in the village — perhaps 70 to 100. 

The day before (19th August) four houses had been burnt on the 
pretext of firing having taken place from them on the German troops. 

There was no such firing and I did not hear a single shot. 

On 20th August I was talking to a friend at his door. The Red 
Cross flag was flying from the roof and was quite distinct, but as 
I stood there a violent firing on the house from German rifles took 
place. 

Married Woman. 

On the 15th August I went to see my husband at Antwerp ; he b 4 
is a soldier. I remained there for two days. On my way back I 
had to leave the train by Ouvelet and I was trying to return on foot 
towards Huy. At Andenne I could not get any further. The Belgian 
soldiers stopped me ; I remained there for two days. On the second 
day the Germans entered. On the third day as they were eating in a 
hotel the Belgian guns began to fire upon Andenne. Then the German 
soldiers left the house and began to fire upon it. We hid ourselves 
in the cellar, where we remained until 7 o'clock the next day ; there 
were 13 of uis in the cellar. In the morning we escaped across the wall 
to hide in the neighbour's cellar, because it was a little calmer. At 
8 o'clock the Germans started to fire upon the house where we were. 
Then they came in ; they drove everybody out with rifles and revolvers 
in their hands. They shot the three men in the garden, although 
the women begged for their lives. They kept us in the corridor with 
our arms raised. 

Then they shut us up in a room on the second floor. I- escaped 
through a door which the Germans had not noticed and went down to 
the first floor. Then I escaped by a window on the first floor. 

On the road I met a German who was carrying a sheet full of pipes 
and cigars, which he had stolen. He compelled me to help him to 
carry it and he took away my cloak and my bag. Then he let me go 
and gave me back my property and also gave me a card by way of pass. 
A waggon passed with about 10 German soldiers on it and they 
compelled me to get up and kissed me. Then they let me go. 

I was able to cross the bridge at Huy by means of the soldier's card. 

I remained several days at home at Huy. 

On the 23rd, a Sunday morning, my father, being in ill-health, 
went ovit for a walk. He met 15 Germans, who beat him, his skull 
was cut open ; but he was not dead. He was carrying an umbrella 
and the German soldiers accused him of carrying a gun. They 
dragged him as far as the theatre in the park, where they again beat 
him and broke his feet with their rifle butts. Finally they hanged 
him to the roof of the theatre. 

About lunch-time somebody came to tell us that our father was a 
prisoner in the park. We went to see, and we begged for his life, but 
he was already almost dead. My sisters saw him cut down and his 
body thrown into the water. I remained in bed for seven days and on 
the third day we were allowed to have the body back. 

The soldiers belong to the 13th German Regiment of the Line ; I 
should be able to recognise them. 

Belgian Soldier. 

After the retreat from Namur the whole Transport Corps arrived b 5 

at Bioulx, near Namur, and I then saw German soldiers with lighted Environsjoif^ 

torches putting house after house on fire. This was about 9.30 p.m. Namur, 



b6 
Romsee. 



b7 

Marchove- 

lette. 



28 

A large stack of hay had been fired by the Germans, but upon the 
arrival of the Belgian troops the Germans put out the fire by throw- 
ing earth on to the stack. 

The Germans then attacked the Belgian troops, and the Belgians 
retreated, and nearly all were taken prisoners. At Fosse, in the 
Province of Namur, I left the Transport Corps owing to the defeat and 
capture of my comrades and escaped ; and I went with the people of 
the village of Fosse into several of their houses, and saw that every 
house had been pillaged by the Germans, and its contents stolen. 

While at Fosse, I saw a number of refugees on the road from Fosse 
to Vitrival, on the way to Charleroi. There were about ten women 
and some children. About 24 German soldiers came towards them, 
and one of the soldiers had undone his trousers, and exposed his 
private parts. He approached one of the women, intending to violate 
her, and she pushed him away. He at once struck this woman in the 
breast with the bayonet. I saw her fall. Some of this man's com 
rades laughed as he showed them the bayonet dripping with blood. 
He then wiped the blade of the bayonet on his coat. I saw this while 
I was hiding near by, but I dare not try to help the woman because I 
was still wearing my uniform, and would have been shot at once. I 
only had my rifle with me at the time. The soldiers appeared to me to 
belong to the artillery, but I cannot say definitely which regiment 
they belonged to. They then went away on the road to Fosse. I 
did not see the wounded woman again. 

I am quite certain that the whole of the 24 soldiers had been 
drinking. 

Belgian Refugee. 

We saw the Germans breaking down the doors of the houses in 
Romsee. They came to a house where three men whom I knew (but 
I cannot recall their names) lived. There were two men of about 
60 years of age and a young man of 18, the son of one of the old men. 

The Germans broke open the door and went into the house, and 
they came out saying that they had found a revolver in the house. 
They brought out the three men and put them against the wall of the 
house and shot them dead. They then threw the bodies into the 
house and set alight to the house. In the afternoon I went back to 
the house and saw the three bodies, they were burnt by the fire. The 
Germans said that shots had been fired from the house, but that was 
not true. I am certain that no shot was fired from the house. I and 
my friend must have heard any shot fiired from the house. 

Belgian Soldier. 
On the first day of the fighting round Namur, when my company 
was at Marchovelette, two of my comrades were wounded. The 
medie&l service had not come up, so we carried them to a farm on the 
left of our trenches. This was in the morning. Later in the day the 
Germans attacked us in superior numbers. We were only one com- 
pany on outpost duty and were forced to retreat. We ran in different 
directions, and I made for the farm. I had been in the farm before in 
the course of the day, and had spoken to the farmer, who said that he 
and his family were going to hide in the granary when the Germans 
should come, I cannot now remember the name of the farm or 
farmer. The Germans came to the farm. They were infantry. I 
was hiding behind a tree. One of the wounded men was in the court- 
yard of the farm. When the Germans entered the farm, he implored 
them to spare his life. He was on his knees. They pushed him 
back into a shed which was next to the granary anu would not listen 
to his supplications. I then saw some Germans collecting the farm 
horses, chickens, &c., while some others brought straw which they put 
in the shed where the wounded man was, and in the kitchen. I could 



29 

see the door and windows of the kitchen. The door of the kitchen 
was open. I could just see in. The wounded man in the shed was 
too severely wounded to run away. The other wounded man was in 
the granar}^ with the farmer and his family. There was another shed 
near the kitchen. It was a big farm. The Germans set fire to the 
straw and the farm was soon on fire — the granary immediately. When 
the smoke began all the Germans came out. One of them was riding 
one of the farm horses with one of the farmer's daughters in front of 
him. He had his left arm round her. She was crying and her hair 
was all down. I do not know what became of her. I was behind the 
tree all this time. When the Germans went I went away too and 
managed to rejoin my regiment about two hours later. 

The farmer and his family and the wounded men must have all been 
burnt. I. could not enter the farm because of the fire, and I could not 
leave my hiding-place for some time as there were other Germans not 
far off. 

Belgian Soldier. 

I was on patrol duty, about 12th or 13th August, in a wood in b 8 "^ 
Bonnine, near Namur, with two other Belgian soldiers. As we were Bonnine. 
coming out of the wood I saw six Uhlans. We killed two Uhlans ; and 
one of my comrades was also killed. I ran behind a tree, and then saw 
a dead horse. The captain of the Uhlans (whose horse was dead) 
approached towards me on foot with a revolver in each hand. He 
shot at me, and missed. I shot him in the jaw and he died immediately. 
I took his sword, which had a golden handle, and I saw from his card 
that he was Count Fritz Biilow. The major of my regiment afterwards 
told me to retain the sword, which was subsequently brunt with my 
other belongings in a house where I had to seek refuge near Namur. 

A week later the Germans bombarded Bonnine. Some 15 Uhlans 
were coming in the street there, and I saw two peasants hide themselves 
behind a wagon. One of the Uhlans dragged them from the' wagon, 
and he hacked them to pieces with his sword with the help of other 
Uhlans. I was in a house on the opposite side of the street, and with 
my comrades fired on the Uhlans, and killed 13 out of the 15 ; the two 
others escaped. We made barricades and trenches in the place, and 
at the end of nine days only four of my company were left (out of 240). 
We escaped by hiding under the corpses of oiu* comrades, and got to 
Namiu". The four of us barricaded ourselves in a house, and eventually 
three of us escaped, but I fell from a window and injured myself. We 
crossed Namui during the bombardment of the town, and the streets 
were full of the corpses of men, some Belgian soldiers, civilians, priests, 
women and children. I also saw the headless corpses of a woman and 
cliild lying over a balcony of a house in one of the streets. I think 
that they had been killed during the bombardment of the town. In a 
street at Na.mur I and my two comrades (we had changed into civilian 
clothes meantime) mixed with a crowd of about 150 people, and the 
German soldiers came up from side streets and without a word of 
warning fired on the unarmed people, and only ten persons escaped — 
I being one of them. These nine people were afterwards taken 
prisoners, but I got free. 

Belgian Soldier. 

In the middle of August I was engaged with other Belgian soldiers b 9 "^ 
on reconnaissance duty at Geldbressee, near Namur, when I saw two Geldbressee. 
Belgian women who had just been shot by German soldiers and killed. 
The Germans were then some 400 yards away. The women had just 
been killed. Other women near by told me the two h^d been taken 
out of their houses and shot. I did not see the assassination. 

In October I went after a battle into a small inn in the village of 
Lebbeke ; I saw two women there who told me that German soldiers 
had bound their hands behind their backs in the cellar of the inn and 



30 

violated them both. It had happened a week or 10 days before. It 
was mother and daughter, the daughter 20 or 22 years old, they were 
the wife and daughter of the innkeeper. 

Belgian Eeffgee. 
b 10 On the 23rd of August, 1914, the Germans entered my village 

Temploux. (Temploux) and came to L . , .'s house. L . . ., who was a pro- 
fessor of modern languages at the College of Namur, was prepared, 
under the force of circumstances, to obey the German orders with 
regard to receiving the German soldiers who were billeted on him, and 
came to the door to admit the commandant. The commandant, 257 
Dusseldorf Company, drew his revolver and shot L ... in the lungs, 
in the presence of his wife, young daughter and son and myself. L . . ., 
as he was dying, asked the commandant the reason for this brutality, 
and the reply was that the commandant had lost his temper, because 
certain Francs-tireurs fired upon the Germans entering Temploux, 
but these Francs-tireurs did not exist, but they were actual Belgian 
soldiers, for whom neither L . . . nor the village of Temploux were 
responsible. Having committed this murder, the German soldiers 
buined the house, in order to hide the cowardly act. 

Belgian Refugee. 
b 11 The Germans entered Namur, 24th August, and the following day, 

Namur, &c. aiid at the same time the town was systematically set on fire in six 
different places. Concurrent^, there was indiscriminate firing on 
the civilian population as they ran out of their burning houses. Large 
numbers were killed. I do not personally know that any women or 
children were killed. A neighbour of mine and his. son, a young 
fellow of about 20, were arrested by the Germans as they ran out 
of their house and shot forthwith. I did not see the shooting, but 
I saw the dead bodies. About 140 houses were burned altogether in 
Namur. Some days before the German entry, the Belgian authorities 
had put up notices warning the population against giving any provoca- 
tion to the Germans and none of any kind was given. In particular 
there was no firing on the troops. My brother-in-law informed me 
that immediately the Germans entered Surice, 24th August, they 
shot several persons, in particular one man of over 80. That night 
there was a council of war (German). Next day (25th), the Germans 
ordered all the inhabitants to come out of their houses and all the 
men who had not already fled were shot, including several strangers 
temporarily there. 

Amongst those shot, were : — 

(11 names given, all people of good standing.) 

The French were driven out of Surice by the Germans and there 
may have been firing by them during their retreat. My brother-in- 
law said there was no provocation of any kind given by civilians nor 
did he tell me that the Germans made such complaint. But, in 
fact, that was an allegation they always made. 



bl2 

Namur. 



Belgian Refugee. 

On Sunday, August 25th, I saw the Germans set fire to the hospital 
at Namur, which was displaying a white flag, bearing the Red Cross. 
They plastered the waUs with inflammable pastilles about the size 
of a penny, which they rubbed with the hand and ignited. 

I asked a superior German officer why they had done this, and 
he replied that soldiers in the hospital had fired on them, and they 
had been obhged to burn it down. 

I was unable to ascertain whether or not this statement was true. 

I saw the dead bodies of a contractor and his son, who had been 



31 

shot by the Germans as they were escaping from Namur. There 
were no weapons near them, and the father was still holding in his 
hand a tobacco pipe. 

Belgian Soldier. 

I had served 18 months in the Army, and finished my service two b 13 
years and a half before war broke out, when I was recalled to the Denee. 
colours. I am an engine driver on the State Railway. 

On the 27th August I was taken prisoner at Denee, in the province 
of Namur. I was marched to a place I did not know by a round- 
about way, when happened the events I am about to nairate. 

I was taken prisoner by a company of Germans of the 62nd 
Regiment of infantr3^ They had " Gibraltar " or " Gibraltar " 
(I don't know which) on their sleeves. 

There was a civilian who was a prisoner too. 

I asked him why he was a prisoner. He told me that a German 
priest had given him a letter to take to an ambulance, and had put 
a red cross on his arm. When he returned from the ambulance he 
took the Red Cross off his arm. A German officer saw him do this 
and made him prisoner. 

The next morning I saw him shot. 

That same day I saw two other civilians who had been taken 
prisoners. One was about 36 years old. He was a cripple with one 
leg shorter than the other. The other civilian was an old man about 
80 years old, and paralysed — palsied. Neither was capable of bearing 
arms. Two German soldiers told their officer that these two men 
had wounded them by shooting at them with rifles. Neither had 
rifles nor anything in their pockets. I saw the Germans search them. 
The Germans kicked them. The next morning I saw them shot. 

Married Woman. 

My husband and I were at the outbreak of the war between ^ 14 
Germany and Belgium keeping a small shop at '^'amines. My husband '^'^^i'^^^' 
also worked as a labourer. 

Our house is situated on the village green at Tamines, and com- 
mands an uninterrupted view of the same. 

Tamines was occupied by the Germans in the first fortnight in 
August 1914. On or about the 15th or 16th August I saw a German 
soldier kill a little Belgian boy of about 15 years of age who was 
walking on the aforesaid green. The little boy was killed by a rifle 
bullet. As far as I could see the boy was doing no harm to any one. 
I do not laiow the boy's name. 

On some date between the 15th and 20th August I saw about 
20 German soldiers, together with an ofiicer, on the aforesaid green. 
A little girl and her two little brothers came and looked at the said 
soldiers. I then saw these soldiers kill her and her two little brothers. 
The girl was killed by being shot through the ear. These three children, 
whose ages were 8, 12, and 15, were no relations of mine or my husband, 
but they were well known to me as inhabitants of Tamines. 

At about the same date referred to in the preceding paragraph 
of this my declaration, I saw German soldiers force an old man of 
a,bout 70 years of age, who was well known to me, to assist them to 
lift up certain wounded German soldiers. When he had finished this 
work he was shot and killed by the soldiers. 

Belgian Refugee. 
About 23rd August the Germans came from Lambusart to Tamines. b 15 
They arrived in Tamines in the afternoon. They were infantry and 



32 

artillery who entered. There were about 50 French soldiei's at 
Tamines for some days before. They had come from the neighbour- 
hood of Charleroi. They barricaded the bridge over the Sambre at 
Tamines. The Germans fired on Tamines from Velaine-s/- Sambre 
the day of their entry, and the French soldiers replied with shrapnel. 
The French retired before the Germans advanced. The Germans 
arrived in groups. I did not see them enter. I had hidden in my 
cellar when I heard the bombardment. My street had been bom- 
barded and there was hardly anything left standing in it. It was 
about 2 p.m. when I went down into my cellar. My wife and I and 
our two children had taken dinner together in our house, and after 
dinner my wife and the eider child, a little girl of 7| years, had gone 
out to the house of my sister-in-law. I never saw either of them 
alive again. 

For my own part, towards evening I came out of my cellar with 
my little boy and went with him to the house of my sister-in-law to 
look for my wife and little girl. There was no one there. In order 
to go to my sister-in-law's house from mine one does not pass the 
public square or go near the Sambre. I did not see a single person 
anywhere I passed and I returned with my little boy to the cellar. 
It was not till the next morning that I learned what had happened. 
I went down to the station ; I spoke to a man called G . . . He did 
not wish to tell me about my wife. He said she had probably been 
taken to the wood at Velaine. I went there. 

The women who had been shut up in the churches had been taken 
there the evening before and had been made to pass the night in the 
wood, an iron fence being drawn around it. I succeeded in seeing 
my sister-in-law there and she told me that my wife and daughter 
had left her house to go home when they heard the firing the day 
before. I went back to G . . . and then he told me gently what 
had happened. 

I then went to the public square and I saw it littered with corpses 
in all kinds of positions. German soldiers were keeping guard by 
them. I did not see the bodies of my wife and child then. I went 
again to my sister-in-4aw's house. It was open, but my sister-in-law 
had not yet returned. The place had been looted — that is, the office 
there — by Germans. 

The Germans compelled men of the town to help in digging a 
grave in the public square for the killed. The Christian Brothers and 
the cure of the Church of St. Martin had to help to dig. The bodies 
were put in one on top of another. While this was being done that 
afternoon I saw for the first time the bodies of my wife and child. 
My wife's body had a stab in the head and also one in the breast at 
the left side. My little girl had a stab in the neck. I saw also the 
body of the cure of the Church of Les Alloux. His ears and one arm 
were cut and nearly severed from the body. Amongst those who 
had been shot down the day before was my nephew, the son of my 
sister-in-law, 16 years of age. 

G . . . and my sister-in-law and others told me that the Germans 
had said that the inhabitants had fired on them. It was not true. 
All arms had been dehvered up at the mairie by order before that 
date. 

Belgian Reeugee. 
b 16 During August, after the fighting at Liege, I was at home at 

Morlanwelz. Morlanwelz, My house is near the railway. My wife and I saw 
some Enghsh cavalry arrive. They called out " English ! Enghsh ! " 
as they came by our door. We cried " Hurrah for England ! Hurrah 
for France ! " whereupon the Enghsh made signs to us not to shout. 
Two hours afterwards, a battle began behind my house and twenty 
minutes' walk away from it. The Enghsh were stationed in a farm 



33 

belonging to the Burgomaster of Peronne. Tliis gentleman is a 
member of the Belgian Parliament, belonging to the Catholic party. 
His farm is in the commuue of Peronne. The English were compelled 
to retreat as well as some French cavalry which was with them. 
The Germans advanced and captured the farm, which they bm-nt. 
They took the Burgomaster and his manservant prisoner, and carried 
them off in front of the Hotel de Ville of Peronne (Belgium), which 
is not far off and there they shot them both. They bandaged the 
Burgomaster's eyes with his tricolour scarf of office. I saw the 
corpses, but did not see the men shot. The relations of the dead 
men were ordered not to touch the bodies, which were left in the 
street 48 hours. They also burnt the Hotel de Ville and 62 houses 
on the same day. The Germans said, as they always did, that the 
civihans had fired on them. That is untrue. Three or four days 
before they arrived the Burgomaster had informed the civilian popula- 
tion, by means of circulars distributed to each house and placards, 
that all guns and fire-arms must be deposited at the Hotel de Ville, 
and this was done. These arms deposited at the Hotel de Ville were 
broken up by the Germans during their stay in the town. 

Engineeb. 
About the 21st August at Monceau-sur-Sambre the Germans shot b 17 
a young man belonging to the district named R . . . He was 18. Monceau- 
They shot him in his garden. This is how it happened : the Germans ^'^^-^^'^ ^®' 
burst in the front door, the young man ran out into the garden by 
the back door, the Germans shot him firing from the corner of the 
house into the garden. Immediately afterwards the Germans seized 
the young man's father and another of his sons aged 22. They took 
them to the courtyard of a chateau (the Chateau Baslieu) and shot 
them there together with some others. They shot the son first, then 
they compelled the father to stand close to his son's feet and to fix 
his eyes upon him and shot him in that position. The Germans 
buried them in front of the chateau. With regard to the other son, 
the son shot in the garden, the neighbours yielding to the entreaties 
of his mother, carried him into the house and put him on a bed. The 
next morning the Germans arrived and asked where the corpse was 
to be found. The neighbours were compelled to say that it was in 
a room in the house. The Germans accordingly fetched straw, 
entered the house, found the corpse, put straw round the bed on 
which it was lying and set fire to it. The house was completely 
burnt down. They also burnt 312 houses at Monceau. It would 
appear that they had a fixed intention to commit atrocities at Monceau . 
Many people living in the surrounding villages have told me that 
the troops were always asking about the whereabouts of Monceau : 
" Where is Monceau ? Which is the road to Monceau ? " 

Belgian Refugee. 
. I arrived in England direct from Montigny on Wednesday last, b IS 
18th November. I was there continually since July. It is 2 kilo- 
metres lower down the river than Charleroi. On Saturday, the 22nd 
August, Uhlans arrived at 7 a.m. They were engaged with the 
French Army on each side of the town some distance away, about 
4 kilometres. The French were in ambush — a small detachment 
only of 150 or 200 — ^in the wood situated on a very steep hill over- 
looking the main road, about CO or 70 metres in height. The Germans 
commenced to march through the town at about 1.30 p.m. First 
came the cyclists, about 20, then about 50 infantry, then a good 
100 Belgian hostages collected from the neighbouring villages, two 
or three of whom I knew personally, one F., a priest, and another 
priest whose name I do not know ; then more cyclists, then more 

B 



34 

infantry. Then followed nearly 300 hostages, generally fivQ in a 
row, though sometimes only four. There was a large new rope 
round them and the front, rear and outside men had to hold it in 
their hands. They were escorted by soldiers with fixed bayonets. 
A detachment halted in the street and put down their arms. The 
Belgians gave them everything they wanted, food, cigars, soap, 
towels, I think, so that they might have no harm done to them or 
their houses and shops. They then looked for some route up to the 
hill where the French were, which was not so steep as that coming 
direct from the town. About 5 the French commenced to fire on 
them, the hostages having passed out of the town. I met a French 
soldier afterwards in the hospital who told me they would have fired 
sooner but for the hostages being there. The instant the French 
fired the Germans set fire to houses all along the main street — I believe 
the total number was 131. They chased all the inhabitants out, 
saying that there were French soldiers there. There were no soldiers 
there and they did not find a single one. I saw this from the church 
tower. I went up there two or three times for a few minutes. Other- 
wise I was out in the street or in my own house which commands a 
view of the main street. All these houses were totally destroyed. 
The street opens out into a round " place." There they burnt every 
house except three, one of the inhabitants of which spoke German 
and asked them not to. They each carried a little bag containing 
pellets of an explosive nature. \The witness here showed the two 
pieces, one round and one square, of a material rather like glue, which 
were samples of what they used. The larger one was rather larger than 
a shilling.'] They were a regular corps of incendiaries and each of 
them had the word " Gibraltar " on the left arm of his tunic. 

There were others who set fire to houses with petrol, but the 
regular " incendiaries " used these explosive pellets. They were 
thrown in in handfuls and made the fire burn very fiercely. About 
10.30 p.m. about 200 hostages passed. At about the same time 
they put about 50 men, women and children on the bridge over the 
Sambre, and kept them there till 5 a.m. I suppose to prevent the 
bridge being blown up ; at any rate, they feared it was mined. The 
river is narrow and not fordable. The 200 hostages I saw at 10.30 
were from Montigny itself. 

I visited the hospital on Monday morning and saw 27 lying dead. 
They had been shot outside the hospital during Saturday night, 
Sunday and Sunday night, the matron of the hospital and the doctor 
had brought them in and found out their names, and told me that 
several of them were killed before their own wives. 

On Saturday night many of the Germans were drunk. They 
pillaged all the shops. The whole town was full of them. I never 
heard an officer give an order to fire houses, but I am sure they must 
have ordered it. 

There was a priest who was assisting at the hospital. He had a 
niece who spoke German, and when they had broken one window 
of the hospital she said it was the hospital and they did not fire it. 
Her uncle's house was already on fire and she asked an officer to 
have it put out, and he at once sent a soldier to put it out, and it 
was done. Only a curtain and two chairs being burnt, A school 
prepared for Red Cross work, with beds all ready but not yet occupied 
by wounded, was burnt. It was a large building belonging to the 
Christian Brothers. Four of the latter were amongst the hostages 
I saw at 10.30 p.m., and were very badly treated. An officer on 
inquiring what that large building was which was on fire, and learning 
it was the Christian Brothers' temporary hospital said, " That is 
stupid." 

They took the Christian Brothers to the bridge over the Sambre 



35 

and marched them to Somzee more than 20 kilometres away in the 
direction of PhilHpeville. They beat them and tore their clothes. 
I was taken prisoner at 6.30 a.m. on the Sunday in the street by a 
soldier close to my house on my return from mass. There had then 
been no orders given that inhabitants were not to go out at night. 
Even if they had been it was broad daylight at 6.30. I was taken before 
officers and I asked why I was taken, and permission to get my over- 
coat, hat, and umbrella. I was sent back with five soldiers as escort. 
They would not let me go in. My sister, who lives with me, gave them 
to me. Then I was taken before other officers of higher rank, officers of 
the artillery. They charged me with not keeping the population in 
order and said I was responsible for civilians firing on the soldiers. 
I replied that I had told everyone not to fire on the soldiers and that 
I was sure that they had not done so. I explained that it was the 
French who had fired, and pointed out the position of their machine 
guns — they had two. An officer said " it was the civilians." They 
had been dismissed on the Friday night but I had not time to tell them 
so. All their rifles were in the Hotel de Ville. The Germans them- 
selves had found them there and destroyed them and set the Hotel 
de Ville on fire. He said he would destroy the whole town with big 
guns. 

I asked when I could hope to be set at liberty. He replied, " You 
can go." He spoke French. Then the soldiers, four in number, took 
me to the other end of the village into a field near the hospital. There 
were then only two or three other hostages, but the soldiers brought 
them in from all directions, and at the end of an hour there were more 
than 100. The other officers then came and questioned me. They 
were quite affable and listened to what I had to say. Hostages were 
forbidden to speak to each other. They asked me whether I knew the 
houses where there were arms. I said I could not tell. I said I had 
not seen any civilian fire with either rifle or revolver. I heard no 
revolver shots. I could have told the difference by the sound.' I said 
that the inhabitants had given them food and cigars and other things 
and treated them well. They said that was only done to get an oppor- 
tunity of killing the Germans more easily by gaining their confidence. 

The French had retreated about 6 p.m. on the Saturday, but the 
Germans kept firing all night and they were drinking heavily, every- 
where having looted the shops and cafes. I saw no attempt to restrain 
them. The Germans thought that the French were still in the wood 
long after they had gone and shot into every house, as well as firing 
houses, thinking there might be French there. 

It was about 7.30 when they took three men from amongst the 
hostages and shot them in the same place where the others had been 
shot. It was said that these three had been found hiding in a cellar 
and there had been a revolver found in a chest of drawers on the 
1st floor. There was no trial of any sort. They did not even attempt 
to show they had used it. 

Next day they put up a notice that all persons found with arms 
would be shot and their houses burnt. After that many arms were 
given up. These were all revolvers except a very few small rifles 
(rabbit rifles). Ordinarily nearly everyone has a revolver. The 
district is an industrial one, and there are a certain number of bad 
characters. Nearly all Belgians have revolvers in the houses for self- 
defence at night. 

The three men shot were named V . . , D . . , and M . . . It was 
V . . 's house, and the other two had run in there for shelter from the 
firing. 

V . . . was a cafetier who had himself given the Germans much 
wine and spirits without demanding payment. D . . . was quite 65. 
The other two between 40 aiu3 50. 



36 

When they shot them they told them to march forward anci then 
said " Halt ! Right about turn " and they shot them the moment they 
turned. 

We were then put in ranks of four and marched forward and the 
officer said " En avant et celui qui s'enfuit, il est mort." N.B. — The 
German officer's bad French. 

We were marched right through the main street down to the Sambre 
and across the bridge — a house had just been fired there — and out into 
the country from place to place until 9 o'clock that night. 

The same officer (of the 73rd Regiment) then called me out of the 
ranks — at the bridge — and said, " If we are fired at in the villages we 
are going through, you and all your fellow hostages will be shot. If 
we are not fired on, you will be set at liberty to-morrow." He told me 
to tell this to the other hostages. 

Three times dmring the day we were marched back to Montigny, 
and out in a different direction. The first time we came back there 
were some women at the bridge, my sister, one woman, M . . , and 
two young girls of about 15, and eight nuns of the order of Ste Marie. 
They were put with the other men, women, and children who had been 
on the bridge all night, none of them had food given them. We had 
no food when marched round the country, but one soldier gave me a 
small bit of bread. 

At length we arrived at Loverval, 8 kilometres from Montigny ; 
we rested amongst some ammunition wagons. There we stayed from 
2 to 7 p.m. They gave us some water in dirty buckets, such as are used 
for watering horses. The Christian Brothers told me on the Monday 
they made them lie down in one place to avoid the French rifle fire . About 
9 o'clock we arrived at a place called Malines and there we were kept 
for an hour. About that time, a youth of 18, whom I knew, he came 
from Montigny, and was not quite all there — I think his name was 
D . . . tried to escape and was at once shot, and wounded in the thigh. 
He fell and v/as left there without their even going to see if he was dead 
or wounded. His mother found him three days afterwards in a farm, 
50 yards away. He was then dead. I expect he bled to death. At 
any rate there was no doctor to attend to him. The same officer I have 
spoken of came up, hearing the shots. He repeatedly struck the five 
men who were nearest to the one who had tried to escape, with clenched 
fists, and banged their heads against the wall behind, and then ordered 
the soldiers to shoot them. They led them away, a little distance and 
I heard the shots. He was in such a rage he could hardly speak. 
He had hardly any voice left. There is a brewery at Malines and they 
took us there, and told us if we kept quiet and lay down in the straw 
we should be free in the morning. They would not let us open any 
windows though we were almost suffocated. 

At 5 a.m., Monday, they took away the wagons they had put 
against the doors. I forgot to say that there were two non-com- 
missioned officers who called me out when we were put into the stable 
and advised me to try and keep the others quiet during the night so 
that the captain might let us go in the morning. They said, speaking 
French : "It pains us very much to see you like this " and were quite 
kind to us, but there were others who were equally brutal. 

We were taken back to the place Avhero the six men were shot the 
night before, and kept there till 7 a.m. Then the captain came and 
called me out agam and said : " They have fired at us again at Montigny 
during the night." I am sure it was false. He was silent a moment, 
and looked at me. Then he said " Go back all the same with these 
men and tell the people at Montigny not to fire on the German soldiers 
any more." I said, " Very well, thank you." I explained to him that 
we would meet other troops who would probably arrest us en route, 
and he said " Yes, that is so," and he called a soldier — his servant, 



laissez-passer a Montigny," 



37 

I think — and dictated to him in German a 
which he signed himself. 

Belgian Refugee, 
22nd August, the Germans entered Jumet. I saw them driving 
before them, to a place where French troops were entrenched, about 
100 Belgian civilians, including some persons I knew. There were 
several women amongst them and I noticed one child. The French 
fired on them but none were killed. The civihans were kept in line 
in front of the Germans by cavalry on either side of them. When the 
French began to fire the Germans fired on the civilians who were at 
hand and killed several. I was fired on but not struck. The Germans 
fired into the houses on either side of the road. I followed along after 
the troops and in a house they had just passed I saw a wounded Belgian 
girl, about 22 or 23. Her parents told me she had hidden in an 
oven, and a German soldier had opened the door and shot her. She 
died next day. On this day (23rd), I went to Lodelinsart, a neigh- 
bouring village. I saw there the dead bodies of two young men. 
They had been shot. The neighbours told me that these two young 
men and their father had been' bound together by the Germans, 
and that, after the two sons had been shot one of the father's hands 
was cut off. I am quite sure this is true. The father was taken 
to the civil hospital at Charleroi and there attended by a doctor. 
I was told he died of his injuries. He was a civilian of middle age. 
I know no reason for this outrage. The Germans I saw about this 
time were very violent and enraged, I think, with the French attack 
on them. Some of them appeared to have been drinking. At a house 
close to mine the Germans banged on a neighbour's door, and on his 
opening it to them he was shot in face and killed. He was a 
civilian. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On August 22 there was fighting in my village (Bouffioulx). This 
began at 7 a.m. and lasted till 1.30 p.m. They began again in the 
afternoon, and the fighting lasted from 5 p.m. till midnight. All the 
fighting was between the French and the Germans. There were no 
Belgian or English soldiers there at all. I stayed in my house in the 
morning and came out about 1.30 p.m. I saw a man lying dead 
in the street, shot through the chest, about 50 yards from his house. 
He was an old man of 65, in his ordinary clothes, ffis brother- 
in-law on August 23 (the next day) told me that he had been dragged 
out of his house when he was alone there with his wife. The door 
of his house had been broken, but the contents were not damaged. 
In another part of the village I saw the body of a clerk of about 25 
years, unmarried. He had been shot. A . . , who was with him 
when he was shot, told me that they were standing in the streets, 
and when the Germans came they ran away. A . . . managed 
to escape round a corner but the clerk was shot. In Bouffioulx about 
one-third of the houses were burnt down and they tried to burn 
many others. I met one of my workmen sitting on his doorstep 
crying because they had burnt everything of his. I saw a friend 
dead in his house in the Chaussee d'Acoz. I saw him after he was 
dead. He had been shot in the chest and his throat was cut. He 
was lying in the front part of his shop, which is a grocer's shop. 
Everything was broken and the shop pillaged. He was a quick- 
tempered man and probably he resisted the Germans, but I do not 
know this of my own knowledge, people in Bouffioulx say generally 
that he did resist. I saw this in the afternoon, about 2 o'clock. I 
then went to Les Tiennes, which is a part of the village quite near my 
place. A dozen of us went together. We saw 25 cottages burning. I 
saw two men of middle age, who were trying to get out of a grating from 



b 19 
Jumet. 



b20 
Bouffioulx. 



38 

a cellar below the street. They were both shot by some Germans who 
were there in numbers. They could not have got out ahve if they 
had not been shot, because of the flames. I saw a workman after- 
wards in the hospital. He told me that he and his wife were hiding 
in the cellar of his house at Les Tiennes. The Germans set fire 
to his house. He escaped through the grating and was shot while he 
was trying to get out. He was wounded in the chest and fell down 
and was afterwards taken to the hospital. His wife could not get out, 
she was found in the cellar afterwards badly burnt but not yet dead. 
She was brought to the hospital and died in a few hours. I saw her 
myself before she died. She spoke to me but she could not speak well 
enough to tell me what had happened. I did not see anyone shot with 
my own eyes but I saw about 15 dead altogether in the village and in 
the fields. All were civilians. I neither saw nor heard of any woman 
being shot or assaulted. I went to Tamines on Thursday, August 27. 
It is about four miles o&. Bouffioulx. It is absolutely destroyed and 
a mass of ruins. There had been 3,000 inhabitants there before the 
battle. There was no one to tell me what had happened. It is said 
in Bouffioulx that 527 had been shot. I was told so also at Ostend by 
people from the neighbourhood. There is no one else from Bouffioulx 
in England now as far as I know, I had sent my family away to Ostend 
before the battle. I saw only one German shot in the streets of 
Bouffioulx near my house. I heard the fighting. 

Belgian Kefugeb. 
^ ^^ . The 22nd August I was at Charleroi and had hidden in the cellar 

^***&c^^°^' with some of my friends. The Germans found us and shot into the 
cellar through the door, which is in front of the house. I was not 
wounded myself but one of my companions whose name I do not 
know fell dead on my arm. Afterwards the Germans came into the 
cellar, they tied our hands behind our backs and took us out. We 
were obliged to bury the dead. Then the Germans told us to go to 
get something to eat, and as we were going away they shot at us and 
kiUed a man from Alost whose name was Jean ; I do not know his 
surname ; he was 54 years of age. 

The next day I was at Charleroi and saw the Germans putting 
straw into the cellars of houses which had been burnt the day before, 
but in the cellars of which there were still living people, and setting 
the straw on fire. I was in the street when they were doing it. There 
were hundreds of Germans. There were officers ordering them to do 
this. I afterwards saw the cellars full of dead bodies. 

On the 26th of August I saw a lot of civilians shot near Maubeuge, 
in a field. I was a prisoner with them. Those who were shot were 
those who were running in front of the Germans and stopped a little. 
Those who did not stop were not shot. Near Brussels later on they 
shot an old man in my presence because he could not keep up. 

Single Woman. 

b 22 I was at Marchiennes au Pont on the 22nd August ; a young girl of 

Marchiennes 17 was killed by the Germans in a field behind the house in which she 

au Pont, lived. I saw the body two days afterwards lying in the field. No one 

dared go out before, but on that day people — several people went to 

look at it. The body was quite naked, and the breast cut and covered 

with blood. I went to view the body with my brother. I was told 

that the girl, mistaking Germans for Engfish, cried " Vive I'Angle- 

terre ! " She was dragged from the house into this field, outraged and 

killed. 

Belgian Kefugee. 

b 23 I fived with my father at Couillet. I am 21 j^ears of age. 

Couillet. About five weeks ago, that is to say, on or about the 25th of 



39 

August 1914, and before the Germans had actually occupied Couillet, 
I left my father's house before noon to try to buy some bread for the 
family. I returned about 6.10 p.m. I happened to look at the clock 
and am sure therefore of the hour. The Germans had by this time 
occupied Couillet. 

When I returned I found our doctor in the house. The doctor at 
first tried to prevent me from entering the dining room. I, however, 
insisted upon doing so, and found there the dead bodies of my father 
and my mother and a little nephew of mine. My father's body had 
eight bullet wounds in it, of which three were in the head and five in the 
body. My mother's body had five bullet wounds in it, one in the 
temple, one at the back of the skull, and three in the back. My said 
nephew had been kiUed by a bayonet or sword — there were four wounds 
in the head and one in the stomach. 

There were 27 bottles lying in the room, aU of which were empty, 
except one, which had a little wine left in it. These bottles formerly 
contained red wine. 

The said doctor told me how my parents and my nephew had been 
killed. He informed me that eight Germans, officers belonging to 
the 45th Battery or regiment of artillery, had demanded bread of my 
father, and when they did not obtain it they shot him with their 
revolvers, although my father had told them that I had gone out to 
buy bread and that they should have some when I returned. My 
mother, who had begged the officers for mercy for my father, was 
then ordered to get some wine. When she had done this she also was 
shot by the officers and immediately afterwards my said nephew was 
killed with bayonets or swords. 

At about 7 p.m. on the same day some German soldiers arrived at 
our house. They were all drunk. I had shut the doors of the house 
but they smashed one of them in. They took me prisoner, and I was 
taken to Charleroi and locked up there with about 50 other Belgian 
civilians and we were sent off next morning in cattle cars to Aix-la- 
Chapelle. We were kept prisoners at Aix-la-Chapelle for 12 days, 
being guarded by the 22nd Prussian Regiment, At the end of the 
tweKth day the said Prussian regiment was relieved by a Bavarian 
regiment. On the 18th day of my imprisonment at Aix-la-Chapelle a 
Bavarian soldier helped me to escape and gave me some bread. The 
Bavarian soldiers expressed themselves as friendly and said they did 
not wish to fight the Belgians. After my escape I came to Liege, 
Namur, and Charleroi. I found that my father's house had been 
burnt in the meantime and I eventually made my way to England where 
I arrived on the 24th September 1914. 

Married Woman. 

Before coming to England we lived at Charleroi. I saw the b24 
Grerman troops enter the town last September. As the troops entered Charleroi. 
the people fled from the streets to their houses. I saw an old Belgian 
named P . . ., whom I knew by sight and who was 60 to 65 years old, 
trpng to get up the stairs leading to his rooms. The German soldiers 
seized him by the legs, dragged him back into the street and shot him 
dead with rifles. I cannot say how many shots, but several. I saw 
this myself. It was in our street. Before this happened the soldiers 
had ordered all the civilians to march in front of them with their hands 
held up. The old man, however, tried to get into his house and was 
shot as I have stated. 

Shortly after this I saw a baker in the same street putting uj) his 
shutters and closing his shop. The Germans ordered him to march, 
hands up, with the others, but he refused and was shot and wounded 
in the leg with a rifle. 



40 

There was no firing on the German soldiers by civilians and there 
were no Belgian or French troops at Charleroi at this time. There 
was no firing at all nor any sort of provocation ; the inhabitants were 
frightened and did their best to get out of the way and hide. 

Railway Servant. 
b 25 I was in Charleroi Railway Station on or about the 24th September.* 

An engagement then took place between German and French troops. 
The French troops ordered us to leave the station, because of firing. 
I went home. 

On the same night I went out and saw that several houses had been 
burned. I saw the charred bodies of a man and a boy. A small 
portion of the man's moustache had not been burned. I think that 
they had been killed during the engagement between the German and 
French troops earlier in the day. 

During the .evening while I was in the streets of the town a number 
of German cavalrymen came to the town. At the time there were 
a large number of civilians in the streets. The Germans without any 
warning shot at the civilians and I saw four men shot dead (this was 
in the street and on the way towards Brussels). I then ran away 
from the town and eventually arrived at Ostend. 

Widow. 
b 26 I lived with my husband at the commencement of the war at a 

Dinant. house at Dinant. 

On the 15th August there was an engagement between the French 
and the German troops near Dinant, and another engagement com- 
menced on Saturday the 22nd August, and early on the following 
day (Sunday, 23rd August) the French troops were on one side of 
the river and the Germans were on the town side of the river, on the 
same side as my own house. 

At 6.30 a.m. on that day I was having breakfast. I wanted to go 
to Mass, but was unable to do so, owing to there being a mitrailleuse 
placed in front of the house. At that time there were some German 
soldiers in the house next to mine, and the Germans knocked a hole 
from that house into my dining-room. (The Germans entered the 
house in this way, because if they had come in front of the house the 
French troops, who were on the opposite side of the river, would have 
seen them.) 

A German soldier came through the hole in the wall into our dining- 
room, and as he was doing so there was a knock at our back gate. 
My husband got up to open the back door, and as he did so the German 
soldier who had just come through the hole in the wall, and who was 
about three yards from him, shot him in the heart, and at once the 
blood spurted out, and he fell dead at once. I ran to catch him as he 
fell, but one of the two soldiers who were then in the room struck me 
with his rifle, and I was taken prisoner. I did not lose consciousness. 
The German soldiers were yelling like savages. They made me leave 
the house with them, and as they walked they used some bad language 
in French. Each of the soldiers held me by the arms, and one of them 
struck me several times with the butt end of his rifle. I was taken to 
a convent, which was usually occupied by monks, called " Les Peres 
Frangais," and which was an old abbey. 

My husband, who was fond of hunting, had some trophies in his 
house, and usually kept his weapons hung up on the walls, but he, 
and all the other civilians of Dinant, gave up all the weapons at the 
commencement of the war by order of the Burgomaster. 

The convent is about five minutes' walk from my house, In a 

* This is a mistake for August, 



41 

grass square opposite the convent I saw the bodies of about 90 men 
lying on top of each other. These were all men who lived near to 
me and were all unarmed civilians. Amongst them were my brother and 
his two sons, aged 17 and 20. 

(I was informed that these men had been taken late on the previous 
night (Saturday) or early on Sunday morning, and had been placed 
in a row and at once shot.) I heard no reason given for the shooting 
of these men, who were nearly all known to me, and I am certain 
that none of them had been killed during an engagement between 
the French and German troops. 

I was placed in a cellar of the convent ; it was a large cellar, and 
had a vaulted stone roof. The floor was of clay, except for a few 
boards placed here and there. There were about 60 other women 
and children in the cellar, and there also were prisoners in other 
cellars. Some of the women who were in the cellar came from places 
near Dinant. 

In the middle of Sunday night a priest came and told me to make 
my confession, and to prepare for death, as he said he supposed that 
we should all be killed, as the others had been. I then confessed. 
Just after I had done this a German officer came, and he told the 
priest that if he wanted to save all the women who were prisoners 
there he must pay him (the officer) 60,000 francs. The priest said 
he had not got all that money, but that he had 15,000 francs. The 
officer said he would accept this. He then laughed and spat in the 
face of the priest. The priest was immediately afterwards taken 
away, and I was informed that he was taken to the police prison. 

I was kept with the other prisoners in the cellar from the Sunday 
morning until the following Friday night (28th August). I had to 
sleep on the ground ; there were no beds. We were allowed to leave 
the cellar to obey the calls of nature, but aiways under the guard of 
soldiers. Otherwise we were kept in the cellar all the time. We 
were given no food imtil the Wednesday, when somebody threw into 
the cellar two sticks of macasoni and a carrot for each prisoner. We 
were not given any drink dming the whole time, and did not receive 
any other food. 

Two soldiers were on guard at the door with rifles, and in the 
middle of the night the soldiers came round to see that none of the 
prisoners were missing. 

On the Friday night a German officer and a soldier came to the 
cellar, and told us that we could go away and that those who had 
a home could go to it, and those who had no home left could return 
to the cellar. I was told this by some of the prisoners who could 
understand what the officer said. 

I then went to my house, but could not get in, because the garden 
was full of horses, and the house was crowded with German soldiers. 
I then spent the night at the house of a friend. On the next morning 
(Saturday) I again went to my house, but the Germans were still 
there. 

I went to the house on the Sunday morning, and some soldiers 
were then coming out of the cellar, which they had put on fire. I 
went to the German commandant and told him in French that the 
soldiers had set fire to my house. Another officer explained to him 
what I had said, and he then came with some soldiers to my house, 
and they put out the fire. He then ordered all the soldiers out of 
the house and allowed me to go in. He then wrote on the big gate 
in German some words to the effect that no German soldiers were 
to enter the house. (This was explained to nie by a soldier who 
could speak French.) 

The German soldiers wore a grey uniform. They had small 
helmets, and about five of them wore a small black feather, about 2 



42 

. inches long, on the side of the helmet. I was told that all the 
soldiers who were kilHng civiUans wore a black feather. I do not 
know if the feather was a part of the uniform. The soldiers who had 
taken me to the convent wore the same uniform. They had no 
epaulets or shoulder cords. I cannot say which regiment they belonged to. 

When I went into my house I saw dirt everywhere. The soldiers 
had obeyed the calls of nature in every part of the house. All the 
wine in the cellar had been drunk ; the furniture had been smashed, 
and the doors had been broken. The furniture in the first floor 
bedroom had been thrown out of the window into the street. Every- 
thing of value, i.e. the silver, «fec., had been stolen. (I produce the 
top of a pepper castor, which was the only thing left.) 

A day or two after I was set free I asked one of the officers why 
my husband had been shot, and he said it was because two of my 
sons had been in the civil guard and had shot at the Germans. This 
was quite untrue, as one of my sons was at the time in Liege and the 
others was at Brussels. 

A woman, whom I did not know by name, told me that my husband 
had been buried in a hole in our garden. I then got a working man 
of the town to disinter his body, and a doctor was present. The 
man dug up the body, and I then saw that my husband's body had 
been cut completely in two and plg-ced in two sacks, I saw this 
myself. 

(The witness here broke down.) 

The body was dressed, but I saw that my husband's boots had been 
taken off. His money (about 1,000 francs) and his papers had been 
stolen. I then had my husband's body biu-ied in the cemetery at 
Dinant. 

The bodies of seven German soldiers had also been buried in my 
garden, in a large hole. 

I was informed that the chief director of the woollen factory at 
Dinant was hiding with some men undgf a large machine when the 
Germans arrived, and that all the men were taken to the convent 
I have mentioned and shot. I had seen his body at the convent on 
the previous Sunday (23rd August). The whole of the 90 bodies 
were put into a large trench near the convent. The Corporation of 
Dinant afterwards applied to the Germans for permission to disinter 
the bodies of these 90 men, and the Germans gave permission, but 
insisted upon the civilians doing the work. There were only five 
civilians then in the place, and one of them came upon the bodies 
of his father and brother. He stood back in horror, but the German 
soldiers beat him and made him continue digging, and he then found 
the bodies of his three nephews. Some of the bodies, which could 
not be removed, were left in the hole. 

The bodies of 60 civilians were also taken out of a hole in a brewery 
yard at Dinant. The doctor told me that many of the civilians who 
had been believed to have been taken away as prisoners had in fact 
been killed and buried in Dinant. The bodies of men who were 
found had all come from, in, and around Dinant. 48 bodies of women 
and children were also found in a garden. 

The civilians were all unarmed. They had even given their field 
glasses before the Germans arrived. 

Belgian Refugee. 
b 27 On Friday, the 21st August, at half -past nine in the evening, I was 

in the cafe of the Hotel St. Jacques at the corner of the Ciney road 
at Dinant with some friends. We heard a. motor coming down from 
the Ciney road. At that time the right bank of the Meuse was in 
the possession of the Germans, and there were no Belgian or French 



43 

soldiers on this side at that time. We thought that the motor in 
question must be a German mihtary motor, so we asked the pro- 
prietor to turn out the light and to shut the door, which he did at 
once, and we went into the building behind the house. Hardly had 
we got there than we heard a mitrailleuse put into action and four 
bombs exploded in the hotel, wounding some of us. For my part 
I got a wound in the left eye from a splinter. The mitrailleuse fired 
and the explosions went on for about half an hour, and during this 
time we were taking refuge in an inner courtyard of the building. 
We did not dare to move. When the noise stopped, we peeped out 
into the street, going through an empty house which had been smashed 
up by the mitrailleuse. It had not a single window or shutter left. In 
the street it was simply one heap of broken glass, shutters and plate 
glass torn out. 

Further up, about ten houses were on fire. It could be seen that 
the Germans had broken the windows so as to pass lighted torches 
into the buildings to keep the fires going. People who came out of 
their houses told us at once that there had been some people injured, 
and we found that a resident living in the Rue St. Jacques, had been 
struck by two bullets in the legs ; that another resident had two 
bayonet thrusts and had been knocked out by blows from the butt 
end of a rifle. 

The wife of a farmer who was in bed with her little girl got two 
bullets in the body and her little girl had her foot torn off by bullets. 
[I saw the two of them carried down the Ciney road on a mattress.] 

Apparently, also the Germans had suffered losses, for w.e found 
four military caps absolutely full of blood. Undoubtedly some of the 
soldiers had met their death while throwing bombs. 

There was no justification whatever for these barbarous acts. 

The population of Dinant was quite quiet and nothing which had 
occurred during the day gave any reason to suppose that an attack 
of this sort would be made. When I got back I found a hand grenade 
in my shop. It had not exploded. It had been thrown in through 
the glass panel in the door. We picked up next morning about 30 of 
these grenades and put them in water. 

As a further proof of the peaceful state of the population, on the 
19th, that is to say four days after the first bombardment which took 
place on the 15th August, two Uhlans came singly, one at midday 
and the other at half -past eight in the evening, passed right through 
the town by the St. Nicholas quarter and went away again without 
having been troubled in the least. 

Belgian Refiigee. 

Before the war I was a merchant, living at Dinant. On 15th b 28 
August there was a battle at Dinant between the French and the 
Germans. I saw the dead body of a Red Cross helper (civilian.) 
I knew him ; he lived in Dinant. I was told by a neighbour of mine 
that the man had been deliberately shot at a distance of 10 or 15 
yards. I heard no reason for this. The German troops entered 
Dinant, 21st August, and at once set fire to the houses in Rue St. 
Jacques. I saw a number of dead bodies of wounded Dinant people 
being carried by neighboiu"s from this street to the middle of the 
town (hospital, &c.), and was told that the Germans had laiocked at 
the doors, and as the inhabitants rushed out had killed or wounded 
them with their lances. Amongst the dead and wounded I saw 
several men, one woman, and a little girl of about 7. One of the 
little girl's legs was wounded with a sword or bayonet, and the other 
was broken. 

I left Dinant, .22nd August, and at that time about 50 houses had 
been destroyed. They had been destroyed by inflammatory bombs 



44 

after the Germans had seized the town and not by bombardment 
previously. I saw some bombs which had not exploded, but 'I did 
not see any being thrown. When bombs ran short they smashed 
windows with their rifles to assist conflagration. There was no firing 
by civilians in Dinant. The Germans had been worsted by the 
French on 15th August, and I think the violence and destruction in 
Dinant was by way of revenge for this. 

I saw no signs of intoxication amongst the German troops. I 
neither saw nor heard of any ill-treatment of women before I left. 

Belgian Refugee. 
b 29 The French were engaged with the Germans near Dinant on the 

15th August, and the Germans were driven back. They returned 
on the 21st at about 10 p.m. They started burning the houses in 
the E/ue St. Jacques, and biu-nt every house in that street ; I was in 
my house at the time. The following day was quiet. About 10 p.m. 
the Germans and French were engaged, and firing took place across 
the town. The Germans and the French were again engaged. I 
spent the whole day in a cellar of a bank with my wife and six children. 
There were other persons there also. About 5 a.m. on the morning 
of the 23rd the firing ceased, and almost immediately after a party of 
Germans came. They first rang the bell and then they began to 
batter at the door and windows. My wife went to the door and two 
or three Germans came in. My wife asked if they wanted food. 
Many other Germans came in and told us to go out into the street. 
A soldier took hold of me and with a revolver pointed at me made me 
go out. The rest followed. In the street there was one other family 
besides mine. We were driven, with our hands above our heads, 
along the Rue Grande. All the houses in this street were burning. 
We were driven to the Rue St. Roch, and were put into a forge ; there 
were a large number of other prisoners already in the forge — there 
were about a hundred. There we were kept from about 11 a.m. till 
about 2 p.m. We were taken to the prison. There we were assembled 
in a courtyard and searched ; no arms were found. Then one after 
the other as we were searched we were passed through a door and 
were put in cells. I and my family, with several others, were put in 
one cell. My wife was not put in the cell with us. After about an 
hour, during which I heard rifle shots continually, I noticed in the 
corner of the courtyard, leading off the row of cells, a body of a young 
man, and saw a mantle thrown over it. I recognised the mantle as 
being that of my wife. My eldest daughter asked to be allowed to 
go and see what had happened to her mother and she was allowed to 
go, and about haK an hour after I too was allowed to go across the 
courtyard to see after my wife. One of the soldiers took me and 
I found her lying on the floor in a room ; my daughter was with her. 
I saw that she had bullet wounds in four places. She told me to 
return to our children and I did so. Soon after that, at about 5 p.m., 
I saw the Germans bringing out all the young and middle-aged men 
from the cells. I was allowed to stay with my family as I am 55. 
I saw from the cell in which I was these men ranged in three ranks 
in the middle of the courtyard. There were about 40 of them. About 
20 Germans were drawn up opposite, but before anything was done 
there was a tremendous fusillade outside the prison, and the civilians 
who had been drawn up were driven back into their cells. Half an 
hour later the same 40 men were brought out into the courtj^ard 
again. Almost immediately there was a second fusillade like the 
first and they were driven back to the cells. At about 7 p.m. we were 
all brought out of the cells and marched out of the prison. 

We were marched between two lines of troops to Roche Bayard, 
about a kilometre away. There we were placed in front of the 



. 45 

German line ; meantime the Germans Avero building a bridge over " 
the Meuse immediately behind us. It was then dark. An hour 
later the women and children were separated and we were brought 
back to Dinant, passing the prison on ovoc way. Just outside the 
prison I saw three lines of bodies which I recognised as being those 
of neighbours. They were nearly all dead, but I noticed movement 
in some of them ; there were about 120 bodies. 

We were taken up to the top of the hill just outside Dinant, and 
were compelled to stay there imtil 8 o'clock next morning. We were 
then taken on foot by stages to Melreux, where we were put into 
cattle trucks and taken to Coblenz and from there to Cassen. We 
were kept at Cassen for three months and were then taken back to 
Belgium. I rejoined my family at Huy, where a priest who had 
visited me at Cassen told me they were staying, as everything at 
Dinant had been burnt, and that my wife had died the day after we 
were taken away. 

Belgian Refugee. 

On the 23rd August I was in my shop. The Germans came and ^ '^'^ 
knocked at the door and made me go out into the street with my 
family. In the street were nine other persons. It was about 11 .30 a.m. 
We were taken, with our hands above our heads, to the forge in the 
Rue St. Roch. There we found about 100 people, including last 
witness and his family. We were taken from there to the prison with 
last witness and placed in a cell adjoining that in which he was. I have 
heard his evidence and I confirm it in every respect. Amongst the 
120 men who were shot were those whose names appear on this list. 



AEKSCHOT, MALINES, YILYORDE, 
LOUYAm QUADRANGLE 

Blacksmith. 

On the 19th August at 6 a.m. I left home with my father to go to <, 1 
work. We were then captured by German soldiers, both infantry Aerschot. 
and cavalry (I do not know to what regiments they belonged). An 
officer searched me ; I had no weapons. I was then taken with two 
soldiers, and was compelled to break open the doors of houses ; the 
people had locked their doors and were hiding. I then met 25 other 
men who had been taken prisoners and had to follow them. Other 
civihans were captured, and eventually there were 200 (men) prisoners, 
many of whom I knew, some invalids who were taken from their beds. 
We were then made to stand for two hours with our hands above our 
heads. The Burgomaster of Aerschot (M. Tielmans), by order of some 
German officers, said to the prisoners in Flemish, " Every person among 
you who has weapons must take them to the Town Hall. Any of you 
poor men who have got weapons will be killed by the Germans. I 
therefore beg all of you to give up your weapons." The rifles had 
already been collected at the commencement of the war ; one of the 
prisoners, known to me by sight, who had in his possession a gun used 
for pigeon shooting, then fetched this weapon. We were then allowed 
to go away. 

At night the soldiers passed my house and I saw a railway guard, 
who had been standing in the street, run away at their approach. 
A German officer shot the man dead with his revolver. Another man, 
who was also employed at the station, was shot dead at the same time 
by a soldier. On the same day there was a man named F. . . ., who 



46 

had two sons., one of whom was deaf, was standing by the sluice gates, 
and was ordered to hold up his hands. I understood what the orders 
were by signs and by the result. The son who was deaf did not obey 
the order at once, and was shot dead on the spot in presence of his 
father and brother. A Uhlan officer ordered the sluice gates to be 
opened, and the man in charge apparently did not do this quick 
enough. I heard the officer give some order, and the man was shot 
dead at once. 

On the same night the Germans placed cannon outside Aerschot, 
and bombarded the town. 

At the burgomaster's house a German officer was staying. This 
officer was shot, and the burgomaster's son was accused of having 
shot him. The burgomaster's son had been wounded in the arm ; I 
do not know when or how. I knew him well. He was a student and 
about 16, and could not have used a gun. The whole town was then 
fired by the Germans, and everybody who came out of their houses 
were taken prisoners and sent to the market place, which was named 
Market Square. The market was one blaze of fire, and the civilians 
were obliged to stand in the Market Square close to the flames coming 
from the houses. I passed the night amid the blazing streets, and 
the next morning we were taken to a potato field. I then escaped. 

I passed a field where there had been a battle on the previous day, 
and saw a lot of Belgian soldiers lying dead. I did not see any German 
soldiers. I passed another place called Beggynendyk, about three- 
fourths of an hour from Aerschot, in the direction of Antwerp, and 
saw four civilians lying dead. A sheet had been placed over their 
bodies, but the heads were visible. These men were close to the 
battlefield and were probably killed during the battle. I saw at 
Beggynendyk some German cavalry shooting through the windows of 
houses as they passed by ; I could see no reason for this. I also saw a 
poor elderly man who had been apparently shot dead while kneeling 
down. This was at Beggynendyk. 

Manservant. 
c 2 On 19th August at Aerschot the Germans entered the village and 

broke all the doors and windows and stole everything that came 
into their hands. I was at that time in service. We opened the 
door and I showed to them that the lady had prepared something 
to eat for them. They made me come out, seized me by the collar, 
and took me down the road, and then dragged me through the street 
with revolvers in their hands, telling me that I must fight with 
them in Flemish. There were three men on horseback and one on 
foot. The infantryman searched me all over and took about 1,700 
francs which I had upon me, leaving me with another purse containing 
about 30 francs. The three horsemen went away at a trot, leaving 
the infantryman with me. One of the three horsemen was a lieutenant. 
I escaped to the house and then we shut the door. My wife and I 
escaped to the hospital next door through the hedge. When we got 
into the hospital the Germans were asking after Belgian soldiers who 
had escaped into the houses. Then my wife and I went away and hid 
during the night in the hedge of our garden. There we saw a whole 
street burning, in which I possessed two houses. We heard children 
and beasts crying who were in the flames. In the morning we returned 
to the hospital ; we were given a red cross to look after the wounded. 
The Germans expelled all the Belgian wounded. They took prisoners 
everybody they saw in the streets. They put all the men in the church 
and the women and children in the Chateau of Fontaine. Two days 
later they let the women go, and then the men over the age of 45 years. 
The others they kept shut up for 10 days ; then they took them 
towards Lou vain. 



47 

In the evening when they had been drinking the drunken sokliers 
would fire rifles in the streets. Then they went to search through the 
whole hospital to see whether the servants had fired upon them. We 
have often had to hide in the cellars. 

Belgian Refugee 

When the Germans arrived, I, together with the dean and two c 3 
under pastors, hid in the garden of a convent. The convent was used 
as a Red Cross ambulance, and I was called to hear the confessions 
of several wounded Belgian soldiers. The German soldiers searched 
the convent, and one of them said, " The priests are here. We saw 
them. If we find them you may be sure we will burn your convent." 
On the night of the 19th-20th August the Germans set fire to Aerschot. 
I remained in my hiding place until the Saturday night (22nd August). 
On that day the German troops left Aerschot, and others arrived, 
and from the new soldiers I got a passport on Sunday (23rd August). 
The passport was stamped by the German general and bore the name 
of the 3rd Battahon, 24th Regiment of Infantry, who was acting as 
military governor. 

The pastor of Aerschot was accused of having shot at the Germans 
from the tower of his church. This was untrue. The Belgian soldiers, 
however, had previously fired at the Germans from the tower during 
an engagement. 

I understand that the priest of Gelrode was brought to the church 
of Aerschot and was made to stand outside the church for two hours 
with his hands above his head, and on his toes, and that the people 
who were imprisoned in the church were compelled to make water 
on the priest. He was afterwards shot, and his body was thrown into 
the river at Aerschot. His body was afterwards taken from the river 
in a decomposed state, 

Belgian Refugee. 
The bombardment of Aerschot began at 5.30 a.m. on Wednesday. 
I left home at 6 a.m. with my father and mother (who live at the next 
house), and with my wife and all my children we went to the village 
of Gelrode, half an hour — 2| kilometres — from my house. We all 
remained in the street of that village, which is a kind of valley, until 
3 p.m. We could hear the guns all that time. Then we all returned 
home and saw the first Germans we had seen. The cannon stopped 
firing about 11 a.m. We all went back to my house. At 7 p.m. the 
guns from the mountains began to bombard Aerschot again, and then 
we all left home. We could not go back to Gelrode because of the 
Germans, so we went to the other side of the town, the south side, to 
the Thienschepoort, and just outside we saw a public-house and went 
in there. Many other people went there as well. I do not know the 
name of the public-house. It was kept by D . . . We all stayed 
there until the next morning at 5 a.m. There were altogether about 
30 men, women and children in the public-house- — about 10 grown 
men. Two came from Hoog Straat, Aerschot. I do not know 
the name of any other man who was there. The landlord, D . . ., 
was there. I had known the landlord at school at the Catholic 
Schools, Teuvenschepoort, on the west side of Aerschot. His wife 
was there too. At 5 a.m. thirty or forty Germans entered the 
house and told us to hold up our hands and searched our pockets. 
There was someone in command who gave orders, but not an officer 
in a high position. When the first German came to the pubhc-house 
I was in the public room. We had been all together sitting on the 
chairs all night. The door of that room opened straight into the street. 
The door had been shut but not locked all night. The Germans 
came as many as possible, and opened the front door. There was 



c4 



48 

a pump outside, and at 4 a.m. I saw a little group go there for Water, 
and then other little groups. I had been out with the landlord and one 
little boy to make water about 3 a.m. — ^not my own little boy (I do 
not know the boy's name). As soon as we got outside we saw the 
flash of rifles and heard the report — only one rifle, I thought, which was 
fired quickly three or four times. It was about 50 metres away, I should 
think. I thought the firing was at us because there was no one else 
about, and as soon as we went out the shots were heard. We came in 
as quickly as we could and shut but did not lock the door. No one 
went out after that until after the German soldiers came and opened 
the door. When the German soldiers opened the door I was sitting 
nearest to the door, and the first German that entered went for me 
because I was nearest the door. As soon as the German soldiers came 
in they said, " You have been shooting " — they speaking in German, 
but the words are nearly the same as the Flemish. It is easy for us to 
understand German when they speak not too quickly. The first man • 
who entered said, " You have been shooting," but after that the others 
kept repeating the same words. Nobody answered at the moment, 
but after they came in we said, " Not true." I said " It is not true. 
We have not been shooting." There had been no shooting during 
the night. No one in the public-house had fired. As soon as the 
Germans entered the town, everyone was forced to take their arms to 
the burgomaster. The burgomaster sent out typewritten notices to 
that effect, and they were posted on nearly every house. I took none 
and my son took none, because we had none, I saw no fire-arms in 
the pubhc-house. The German soldiers pointed revolvers .at us when 
they came in, and threatened to shoot us if we moved. They came in 
and pointed the revolver, saying at the same time, " You have been 
shooting." 

Then the Germans made all the men — the men only — come outside, 
and ten or eleven of us went out, I and my eldest son amongst them. 
Then we were told to put our arms up and they searched our pockets. 
They took nothing from my pockets, and I think they took nothing 
from anyone's pockets. Then we had to walk in the same position, 
hands up, for twenty minutes. When we got too tired we put our 
hands on our heads [shows how]. We wa&ed to the Teuvensche 
Steenweg. We walked two and two and Germans on each side. The 
Germans called next door and at other houses, and called the men out, 
that so we were about 18 in all. About 30 Germans went with us — all 
the Germans there. I was the last but one, and mj'^ son on my right side. 
There was no officer with them. As soon as we got to the Teuvensche 
Steenweg, a German general came up. He was on foot. He had a 
sword. He had epaulettes, and you could see he was one of the 
authorities, but I do not know that he was a general. He came 
forward and said we had been shooting, speaking to all of us together. 
One after the other we protested that it was not true, and said we had 
not been shooting. I said " I have not " in reply to the officer, who 
said "you have been shooting." There were two other groups of 
prisoners there, 50 or 60 altogether. [I was told afterwards that these 
others had been there all night.] When we had been there a quarter 
of an hour, a second general came and took a paper out of his pocket 
and read from it that one out of three of us was to be shot. He read 
in German, but we understood it. It was read out like an article of 
the law. We were accused of breaking a certain law. He read out 
of the paper that one out of three had to die. We were standing in 
two lines — three groups standing separately. They took all the 
young men. The officer pointed out the young men to the German 
soldiers. [The men he pointed out were about 20 to 30 years of age. 
We were all facing one way, two lines. All those who were picked out 
\Yere taken to the back up a little rise. Wc were standing in the field 



49 

near the public road, about 50 metres from the road. Then the officer 
called out six German names [of soldiers]. Then six German soldiers 
followed the Gorman officer to the rear. I saw them retire from in 
front of us. I did not look behind me. Then I heard shooting — in, 
I think, less than live minutes. There seemed to be six rifles firing, 
that is, I heard forty shots at least, I should say. After we arrived, 
another batch of 30 arrived, making altogether about 120 or 130, I 
should tliink. I saw at least 25 put aside of these to be shot. I saw 
them walk to the rear. My son was one of them. Another was 
a man who lived in Hoog IStraat. I do not remember the names 
of any others at present ; one was a labourer at a farm just outside 
the town, who also did pointing work on buildings. He lived on the 
road to Nieuwenrode. Another worked in the mine at Charleroi — 
another was a mason who lived just opposite my house, I saw the 
burgomaster and his brother and his son when we first came to the 
field. They had their hands bound behind them. I did not see what 
they did to them. 

The soldiers at the rear were shooting for about a quarter of an 
hour, but we were not allowed to turn our heads [I was told afterwards 
that the men were shot three at a time, the six soldiers shooting at the 
three men, and that the burgomaster, his son and brother were the 
first three shot]. I have never seen my son again either dead or ahve. 
After the shooting we were told to retm-n home. I went direct to my 
house. No one was at home. I went to look for my wife and children. 
I went to Nieuwenrode, then to Hauwaert. I slept two nights in the 
woods near Hauwaert. In Hauwaert I heard where my family were, 
and went back to Nieuwenrode and found them there — in a house out- 
side the village — on the public road, where many people were. I was 
afraid to stay there as I was a man. My father and mother were there, 
and my brother's wife and my wife and four children. I went to Hau- 
waert with my youngest son. I went back to see my wife twice. We 
slept with my brother and my brother's son 11 nights in the woods. 
Then we four went to Thielt (12 days). From there I went back once 
to see my wife. Then I went to Averbode (two days), and through 
Gheel, where we took the train to Antwerp. We slept two nights 
there and then to London by boat. 

Married Woman. 

About the 15th August, the Wednesday after the 15th, the Germans c 5 
came to Aerschot. On the approach of the Germans Belgian soldiers 
advised us to flee. I and my father and family hid in a wood. Then 
we heard the Germans had gone and came back to the town. We found 
the Germans were still there and took refuge in a house not our own. 
The Germans had set fire to a house opposite this house, and a civilian 
who was in the same house as us with his wife and family, went out into 
the street to go and see if his mother was in the burning house. As 
he was crossing the road, I and the man's wife saw him shot down. The 
Germans were only about 18 yards away. I did not see them set fire 
to the house, but several houses were on fire and there was no bom- 
bardment to account for it. We then left the house by the back door 
and crossed the fields to our own house. By this time the Germans 
were shelling the town with shrapnel and we went into the cellar. 
Shortly afterwards the Germans came into our part of the town where 
our house was. The Germans broke in the door and windows with 
their rifles and ordered us to come out and put up our hands. I had 
my baby in my arms and could only put up one arm. I saw a German 
soldier kick my mother-in-law, who was with us, on the knee. We 
were then forced to go between two lines of German soldiers to the 
market place, where the men were separated from the women. As I 
came on to the market place a German soldier kicked me on the knee. 



50 

This was at 5.30 in the evening. We were kept in the market place frcJm 
that hour to 4.30 in the morning, when an officer came and told us we 
could go away, first going home to fetch our clothes. The Germans 
brought chairs from the houses and would not let us stand up in the 
market place. We had to keep our hands up all the way from our 
house to the market place and for a quarter of an hour afterwards. 
It is five minutes from our house to the market place. Eventually 
we made our way to Antwerp and thence to England, 

I heard that some of the men who were separated from the women 
were shot, but I did not see this. 

I do not know the name of the civilian who was shot. He was a 
stranger. There were many refugees from other places at Aerschot. 

Belgian Refugee. 
6 I was in Aerschot on i9th August last when the town was taken by 

the Germans. I was ordered to leave my house by a German soldier 
and to hold up my hands, and was then driven through barbed wire 
entanglements into the presence of a German ofiicer, who knocked me on 
the head with his revolver and afterwards made me run before his horse 
until we reached a place where I found other citizens, with whom I was 
detained for two hours and then released, after a proclamation had 
been read by the burgomaster enjoining quietness and the bringing 
of all weapons to the town hall. 

In the evening I was again arrested with many other civilians and 
taken to a field on the Lou vain road. There our hands were tied 
behind us and we were made to lie on the ground face downwards. I 
suffered greatly from the swelling of my wrists and hands. 

We were told by a German officer that we were to be put to 
death. First, the burgomaster, his son and his brother were shot in 
front of us. Afterwards 21 more were shot before us, and then 40 
were released, of whom I was one. I heard afterwards that in all the 
Germans shot 150 civilians that day. 

Married Woman, or Widow. 
o 7 The Germans first came to Aerschot on August 19th, about 8 a.m. 

The biu"gomaster has a brewery and a mill. He and his brother work 
them together. Very soon after they arrived they fired on his house 
which is situate about 15 metres from ours. I heard the noise of the 
firing but did not see it as we had shut our doors and windows. The 
burgomaster went round the town escorted by German soldiers and 
asked all the inhabitants to open their doors and windows, I should 
say about 10 a.m. Then, about 10 a.m., they collected a number of 
men near the river — ^the Demer — and kept them there until after mid- 
day. During this time they broke many windows, in order to take 
anything that they liked the look of. They broke mine to get three 
bottles inside, but they had only vinegar in them. They stole what- 
ever they wanted. An officer came to me and demanded a packet of 
coffee — more than a kilogramme. He did not pay for it. He gave 
no receipt. A jeweller occupies the third house from us. He was 
upstairs making ready for German soldiers to be billeted there. A 
shot was fired from one of the houses near. Some Germans said it 
came from the jeweller's and some said it came from other houses. 
By this time — 7 o'clock or so — many German soldiers were drunk, and 
I am sure it was one of them who fired. Several days before, the 
town crier was sent to order all arms to be deposited in the Hotel de 
Ville, and placards were put up to the same effect, I think they were 
all given up. No one was hit when they alleged there was a shot fired. 
They — the Germans — began to fire on all the houses at once — I think 
it was a German had fired and they said it was a civilian. At this 
time the servant at the biu-gomaster's told me there were three Germans 



51 

there, one of them a colonel. I saw them standing there myself inside 
the window which looks out on the street, drying their hands with a 
towel. It was a very few minutes afterwards that the soldiers began 
to fire on all the houses near and I beheve they killed the colonel, but 
of course I cannot be certain. I heard the whole story from the cook 
of the burgomaster, L. D . . . She told me that his wife, daughter 
and son of 15 were in the cellar when the colonel was shot ; the Germans 
said it was the boy of 15 who shot the colonel. They shot the burgo- 
master and his brother and the boy of 15 next day. The firing con- 
tinued for about 10 minutes, I think. Then they ordered all the 
inhabitants into the street and searched all the houses and dragged 
the women out, I heard by the hair. They put the women and children 
on one side — I was with them and my five children, one boy of 15 
and four girls. I saw many of the men had their hands tied. All this 
took place in the market place. They took away the men along the 
road to Louvain some time about 8, it was getting dark and I cannot 
say how many there were. They kept us there until 3 a.m. Many 
' children were in bed when the order came and had hardly any clothes 
on — it was a cold night. The soldiers gave us a little water to drink. 
They did not ill-treat us, and some of them went to get blankets for the 
children who were cold. They let us go at 3 a.m. 

I heard next day, August 20th, that the burgomaster and the 
brother and son were shot about 3 p.m., together with 150 other men, 
at least so I was told ; I fear my husband was amongst them. About 
5 or 5.30, they came and said they were going to burn my house. 
They told every one near us the same. I went off to Haterbeek to my 
brother-in-law's farm, half an hour's walk away, and stayed until 
Saturday (22nd). Then I returned with my eldest and youngest 
daughter. The street was almost deserted, eight women were at home 
in the day-time, and slept at my house. On Wednesday, the 20th, 
they made about 100 people go to the church, on Thursday they 
brought more and on Friday — when I should think there were about 
1,000 of us — ^they made us march to Louvain, three or four miles' walk. 
Shots were fired in the church — ^to frighten the women and children, 
I should think — ^no one was hit. In the thousand were people of all 
ages and each sex. They gave us nothing to eat, but I was allowed to 
go and get some food for my children . I don't think those who had no 
children were allowed to go — I think the men were not allowed to go 
at all. A soldier escorted those who went. I did not hear any one 
ask permission who was refused it, but I am sure the men were not 
allowed to go. We were kept at Louvain until the next day, Saturday. 
When we got there — it was towards evening — they were shooting at 
and burning houses. We were allowed to drink what water we could 
find on the way there, but we dare not ask permission to buy food. 
There were no Belgian soldiers there (at Louvain). Some of my com- 
panions were frightened at the shooting and began to run. They were 
behind where I was ; the soldiers fired at them, one girl was killed 
and two others wounded, one I know was a girl. They put us into the 
stables at the barracks to sleep. They let about 700 go at the station 
at Louvain and the other 300, of which I was one, were sent to the 
barracks and we had to sleep on the stone floor of the stable. There 
was just enough room to lie down. On Satiu-day about 11, an officer 
came and told us we could go home, but when we got to Aerschot we 
were all sent to the church again. The men were kept there, the 
women and children sent to M. Fontaine's chateau. On Sunday even- 
ing we were let go. The men were kept there about 10 days. During 
the two days I was away at Haterbeek they collected a number of 
young men up to 40, I think, who were subsequently sent to Germany, 
They only sent unmarried men. Later on they took all married men 
between 18 and 45. I heard there were 500 of them. 



52 

Belgian Refugee. « 

c8 About seven weeks ago (namely on or about the 19th August), 

I went to Aerschot Station at 10 a.m. to receive my pay, when I saw a 
large body of German soldiers, consisting of cavah-y and infantry (I do 
not know what regiments they belonged to) and I went back to my 
house, and with my wife and child ran away and took refuge at the 
house of a widow. 

A Belgian soldier came to this house and said that all doors must 
be left open. He told me to go and help to bury some Belgian soldiers 
who were lying in a field close by. I and some other men with the 
soldier went to the field. There were two large guns in the field. 

We buried two Belgian soldiers, one from St . Nicholas, and the other 
from Termonde ; each of these men had a small medal, from which I 
was able to see where they had come from. 

We then took refuge with another man in his house at Aerschot 
(I cannot remember his name) and remained there until the following 
morning. On that day the German soldiers came and took hold of me 
and every other man they could see, and eventually there were about 
60 of us, including some aged 80, and they made us accompany 
them. One of the prisoners, a young man aged 23, was struck on 
the back with the butt end of a rifle by a German soldier. The 
young man said, " Oh, my father." His father, who was amongst 
the prisoners, said to him " keep quiet, my boy." Another German 
soldier put his bayonet into the thigh of another prisoner, and after- 
wards compelled him to walk on with other prisoners . All the prisoners 
had to walk with their hands above their heads. We were then stopped 
and made to stand in a line, and an officer— a big fat man, who had a 
bluish uniform, and a cap with a band upon it, and with stripes on his 
arm, the other soldiers having a ^eyish uniform — came along the line 
and picked out the burgomaster, his brother, and his son, and some men 
who had been employed under the Red Cross. In all 10 men were 
picked out — the men other than the burgomaster, his brother, and his 
son, being picked out at hazard. The remainder of the 60 men, I being 
amongst them, were made to turn our backs upon the other 10, and 
with our faces towards a field. I then heard some shots fired, and I 
and the other men turned round, and we saw that all the ten men, 
including the burgomaster, were lying on the ground. I cannot say 
whether they were dead, but I was afterwards told that they were 
dead. 

I knew the burgomaster, and his brother, and also his son. Two 
of the other men chosen with the burgomaster were known to me. 
One was the man who had been hit in the back with the butt end of a 
German soldier's rifle. 

After the shooting of the 10 men I and the remainder of the 50 
prisoners were made to shake hands with 15 German soldiers, and 
then we were told we could go away. The officer said we were all to 
stop m the town ; and we all went away. The soldiers were not 
drunk. 

The man who had been struck with a bayonet was allowed to go 
away, and I afterwards saw his wound. It was from 2 to 3 inches deep, 
and the flesh was protruding. 

One of the prisoners, a civiHan, was first of all chosen amongst the 
10 men who were to be afterwards shot, but another soldier said that 
he was not to go with them, and he did not go. He went away with 
the rest of the prisoners who were allowed to go free. 

The people who had been made prisoners were dragged out of their 
houses, and none of them were soldiers— all the Belgian soldiers had 
left the district. I do not know where my own people now are. I 
could not understand a word of what the German soldiers said, neither 
could any of my fellow prisoners. 



53 

Married Woman. 

I was living in Aerschot in August of this year when the Germans c 9 

entered it. It was on the 18th August that they entered. They 
entered in a constant stream all day long. They entered the houses 
on each side of mine and the houses opposite. In each house they 
entered they ejected the occupants, men, women and children. This 
was done under the supervision of an officer who stood in the street 
and all the houses in it were treated in this way, though I only actually 
saw the houses opposite and on each side of mine. The Germans 
entered my house and compelled us (myself, my husband, my 16 year- 
old son, my stepson, and three other children) to go into the street. 
This was at about 9 a.m. Everyone belonging to the village was in 
the street. All had to raise their arms above their heads, and the 
men were separated from the women and children. The villagers 
were allowed to stay 10 minutes in the street and then we (women 
and children) were allowed to rejoin the men on the banks of Demer 
where the men had already been taken. We stayed there about 
five minutes and then returned home leaving the men behind on the 
Demer in charge of the Germans, whom I saw ransacking the men's 
pockets for weapons. My husband returned home about 10 minutes 
after I got home. I did my work about the house until about 6.30 p.m. 
when three Germans came to my house. We were again ordered to 
go out into the street, which we did and we were told to put our 
hands up and to go into the market. There were many of us in the 
street. One of the Germans thrust at me with his bayonet, which 
passed through my skirt and behind my knees. I was too frightened 
to notice much. My 16-year old son was many times hit on the 
shoulders and body with the butt of a rifle. 

We were driven to the market. 

I saw three men standing apart and saw them taken away by the 
Germans in a cart. I was too far away to recognise aiiy of them 
and it was nearly dark. 

I remained in the market with my children. My husband and the 
other men were taken away after we had been in the market about 
an hour. They tied the hands of nearly all the men behind them 
except the son of the Burgomaster, whose hands were tied in front 
of him. I could see this. The men were all marched off. I know 
of no acts of aggravation on the part of any of the villagers. The 
Burgomaster and his son were among those shot. A man from 
Aerschot told me about the same time that he buried the bodies (but 
I do not know his name) and that my 16-year old son was shot. I 
have not seen him or my husband since. I have seen no one else 
who has given me news of the men. I remained in the market till 
3 o'clock in the morning. Fifty Germans were preventing us from 
going home. I saw several Germans go into one of the houses near 
the market, come out shortly after and then I saw the house was 
on fire. Altogether five houses in the market were on fire — all next 
door to one another. These were besides the one I first saw. The 
Germans were very many of them drunk. 

By 3 o'clock in the morning the Germans had passed through the 
village and those who remained were getting sober. We were told 
to return to our houses. I went to the house of a neighbour and 
stayed there haK an hour and then went home for 10 minutes or so. 
I went to a wood near by where I stayed for about 14 days in hiding. 

Married Woman. 
On the 19th of August 1914 I was at home at Rodenburg, near c 10 
Aerschot. The Belgian soldiers had left on the 18th. Early on the 



54 

19th I heard rifle firing, and I and my four children and another 
woman, a neighbour, and her child took refuge in the cellar of my 
house. About a quarter of an hour afterwards I heard the Germans 
come into the upper part of the house. They next came down into 
the cellar. They were soldiers and I should say there were about 
25 of them. We begged for pity, but they answered that there 
was no pity for anyone. They did not say why or that their soldiers 
had been shot at. So far as I know no one in Rodenburg shot at 
the Germans. I am certain no one had any weapons. They then 
pulled and pushed us up the stairs and into the street. They did 
not use their bayonets. When we got into the street other German 
soldiers fired at us. I was carrying a child in my arms, and a bullet 
passed through my left hand and my child's left arm. The child was 
also hit on the fundament, I and the other woman and the children 
then ran into Aerschot, where a lady took us into her house. There 
the Germans found us later on, and took me and my children to the 
Red Cross hospital till the next day, when I was taken to the regular 
hospital. I there saw three v/omen, two of whom I knew, die of 
wounds. I do not know how they were wounded. They died on 
Saturday, August 22nd, 1914, 

Laboteer. 
c 11 The Germans came to Aerschot on a Tuesday in August, and they 

passed my house on their way. On the following day I went back 
to my house in order to feed the cattle in the farm. My aunt * 
went with me. We then met some 50 Belgian soldiers, who told us 
not to go further because the Germans were there. They have four 
children, I then ran away, with my aunt and her baby (aged 1| 
years), but after a time she ran into a sideway, I went towards the 
high road ; I learnt that my aunt was shortly afterwards shot through 
the hand by some German soldiers, and her baby was shot in the 
thigh. I was informed that my aunt and the baby were afterwards 
picked up and taken to the hospital in Aerschot. I afterwards saw 
her in this hospital. When my aunt was shot there were no Belgian 
soldiers near her. 

I hid in a wood at Betecom, and saw some German soldiers passing 
along the road some distance away with two civilians, one of them 
being an old man and the other a young man of about 20 years of 
age. The civilians seemed to be acting as guides. I afterwards met 
a man who told me he had also been a prisoner, and he told me that 
the German soldiers put their revolvers to the breasts of these two 
civilians, and then held their bayonets close to them, and that they 
afterwards beat the two men with the butt ends of their rifles and 
killed them, I do not know the name of the man whom I met. 

While in the wood I also met two men who told me they were 
fleeing from the Germans ; they left me, and when about 200 metres 
from me I saw that some German soldiers captured one of these 
two. 

On the Wednesday morning when I was in my house, which is on 
a hill, I saw some German soldiers in the distance shooting civihans, 
and they afterwards set fire to some houses. The soldiers had some- 
thing in their hands which they threw at the houses, and then I heard 
a sound like a shot, and then the houses caught fire. The soldiers 
were about five minutes' walk from my house. My house is situated 
at about three minutes' walk from the main road to Lierre, 

There were no Belgian soldiers present at the time, but afterwards 
there was an engagement between the Belgian and the German troops. 
I then fled from my house. 

* This is the last witness. 



i 

I 



55 

Widow (?). 

About 5.30 p.m. [on August 19th] shooting started. I saw the o 12 
Germans shooting ; no Belgians fired — some of the shots passed near 
me. I saw no oliicers — the Germans said a civilian had started the 
shooting. I saw no one killed. I entered the cellar of our house. 
After about five minutes, six or seven German soldiers forced me out ; 
my daughter and daughter-in-law and husband and son aged 16, 
were hiding in the cellar. The soldiers made me hold up my hands 
and told me to go to the market place. I complained, and was kicked 
once very violently in the back by a soldier. I was in pain for a 
week. At the market place I was next to a Belgian civiHan who was 
bleeding from the head and was attended to by a German soldier. 
A German soldier searched my pockets and returned my property 
(2 franc piece and a snuff-box). Another German soldier came up 
and kicked me violently in the stomach. I had not spoken to him — 
one of his comrades said you should not do that, later an officer came 
and inquired of me about this. I could not tell him who had kicked 
me. 

My husband and son (aged 16) were marched, with a lot of others, 
through the market place about 8 p.m. I could only say good-bye, 
and they were led away bound. I should say at least 160 men. I 
was kept in the market place till 3 a.m., while houses were burning. 
I saw five burning in the market square but did not see who fired 
them. 

A painter of Aerschot told me in Aerschot that he had buried my 
husband and my son. My husband never had any weapons. 

Married Woman. 

I am the daughter of the previous witness. I confirm my mother's o 13 
account of what happened up to 5.30 p.m. I stayed in the cellar 
for about two minutes after my mother left ; six or seven soldiers 
then came and pointed their rifles at us and said they were going 
to shoot the men. I was taken to the market place ; my father 
and brother were taken with me. As soon as they arrived at the 
market the men and the women were separated. I asked what 
would happen to my father and brother ; a German soldier told 
me they were all going to be shot ; I asked why, and he replied that 
the burgomaster should not have used his rifle.* 

On Thursday morning I saw three corpses of Belgian soldiers in 
the street. I do not know if they had been fighting or if they were 
prisoners who had been shot. 

We left Aerschot on Thursday morning ; after we had gone 3 miles 
we returned. 

On Friday night at six o'clock, 700 people were locked up in the 
church. I was one of them ; we were kept till 10 a.m. the next 
morning, then the women and children were allowed to go. We had 
no food. My mother did not return with me to Aerschot. I went 
to get news of my father. 

Professor. 
With the help of a German pass, I left Lou vain and proceeded o 14 
towards Antwerp. En route I passed through Aerschot. All the 
civihans had fled and the Germans were in possession of the town. 
I saw some of the soldiers breaking open private houses in the prin- 
cipal square. The whole town was looted. Desiring to secure leave 
to continue my journey, I asked for and was taken to the officer in 
command. He was a captain (or of higher rank) and I was taken 

* Note. — The story in general circulation amongst the German troops was that 
th e death of the officer was due to the action of the son, not to that of the father. 



56 

to him in the street, where I found him personally assisting in setting 
fire to a house. He and his men were lighting matches and setting 
them to the curtains. The excuse given for this and the burning of 
houses was that a German officer of high rank had been killed in the 
house of the mayor. I was allowed to proceed towards Antwerp 
conducted by a German soldier. This man stated that he regretted 
the kind of warfare that the Germans were carrying on (especially as 
regards bm^ning of houses), but said that they had been fired on by 
civilians and that what they had done was done by orders. On 
my journey I afterwards came across the refugees from Aerschot, 
who told me that the rumour of civilian firing had no foundation, 

Belgiak Refugee 
c 15 When the German soldiers arrived at Aerschot I and some friends 

hid in a cellar. We were afterwards found by the soldiers, and with 
a large number of other civilians of the town were made prisoners, 
and had to walk in front of the soldiers for about 20 minutes with our 
hands above our heads. In all there were between 1,000 and 1,200 
civilians, and we were placed in lines in a place near the water. Next 
to me was standing an old man of 75 years of age. One of the German 
soldiers, who spoke Flemish, told us that the whole of us were going 
to be shot dead, but no explanation was given. (He also told us 
that half a million of men were coming into the town.) 

We were made to stand near the river for three hours. As we 
were standing there two German officers came along with the Burgo- 
master of Aerschot, who said that if we had any weapons they were 
to be at once given up. (As a matter of fact the whole of the weapons 
had been taken from the civilians eight days previously.) I was 
then allowed to go free, with the other prisoners. 

As I was walking towards my home I heard the sound of shooting 
and saw four men fall in front of me. They were civilians, and had 
not been with the large body of prisoners. The four men were about 
35 yards from me. Two of them were known to me, and were father 
and son — ^the son was feeble-minded. They were taken out of their 
house and were shot just in front of it ; they were both close together. 
Another of the men who were shot was a man named G . . . No 
explanation was given of this shooting. I afterwards heard the 
father and son were shot as they were coming out of the house. I 
also heard that the man G . . . was shot as he was returning from 
work. 

I continued on my way home, and then saw the dead body of 
another man in the street. He had been shot through the head, but 
I did not see him shot. He was a civilian and lived four houses from 
mine ; he was known by the nickname of " Yes." 

When I got to my house I found that all the furniture had been 
broken, and that the place had been thoroughly ransacked and every- 
thing of value had been stolen. 

The German soldiers then came to my house, and compelled me 
to make some shafts for the horses. I was allowed no food or drink 
until I had finished making them. 

I and my wife afterwards hid in the cellar of our house, and when 
I came out into the street again I saw the dead body of a man at the 
door of the next house to mine. He was my neighbour, and wore a 
red cross brassard on his arm. He had been riddled with bullets 
from a mitrailleuse. 

I knew the woman M. V. M . . . She was shot dead at the door 
of her house. 

The German soldiers were in Aerschot for three days, and during 
all that time they were kilHng Belgian civilians. 

I was again made prisoner with a large number of other men. 



57 

The German soldiers picked out every third man and compelled the 
other two men to dig his grave. There were in all 150 men of all 
ages, and 50 of them were shot. I saw some of them shot, but not 
all. None of the men who were shot had given the slightest provoca- 
tion. The usual excuse was given, namely, that the civilians had 
fired on the German soldiers, but this was quite untrue, as none of 
them had weapons. I tried to escape, but was again captured. The 
men who were picked out to be shot were usually young men. 

I was afterwards taken with a large number of other civilians, 
and placed in the church at Louvain. Then we were taken to Station 
Street, Louvain. There were about 1,500 civiHans of both sexes, and 
we had been marched from Aerschot to Louvain. When we were in 
Station Street I felt that something was about to happen, and I tried 
to shelter in a doorway. The German soldiers then fired a mitrailleuse 
and their rifles upon the people and the people fell on all sides. Two 
men next to me were killed. I afterwards saw someone give a signal, 
and the firing ceased. I then ran away with a married woman, named 
B . . . (whose maiden name was A. M . . .), aged 29, who belonged 
to Aerschot, but we were again captured. She was shot by the side 
of me, and I saw her fall. Several other people were shot at the 
same time. I again ran away, and in my flight saw children falling 
out of their mothers' arms — I cannot say whether they were shot, or 
whether they fell from their mothers' arms in the great panic which 
ensued. I, however, saw the children bleeding. 

I have lost everything which I possessed. I had five men working 
under me at Aerschot. 

Store-keeper. 

At the beginning of the war I was employed as a stretcher bearer o 16 
under the Red Cross. 

On the 19th August I was taken prisoner by the Germans. I was 
wearing a Red Cross brassard at the time. I was placed against a wall 
and the Germans pretended to shoot me. The Belgian clergyman of 
the town was also treated in the same manner. We were not, in fact, 
shot. 

A Catholic Institute, named " Peres Damiens," was used as a Red 
Cross hospital at Aerschot, and there were on the 19th August about 
150 wounded Belgian soldiers, of whom eight were Germans. The 
Germans took these eight men from the institute and then commenced 
to fire at the windows and corridors with their rifles. In all about 
5,000 rounds were fired, I believe to terrorise the inmates. A member 
of the Red Cross was shot through the arm. I was in the institute at 
the time. A Red Cross flag was flying over it. 

The following civilians were brought into the institute on the same 
day. They had all been shot in different parts of the body and were 
dead. I saw them. Their names were : — 

(Five names given.) 

I got away from the Germans on the same day and the next day I 
went to Ghent. 

Shoemaker. 

I am a shoemaker, and before the war I lived at Aerschot. The c 17 
Germans entered Aerschot, 19th August. I did not see or hear of any 
firing by civilians, but the noise and uproar were great, and I might 
not have heard it if there was any. I know the Germans alleged it. 
The Germans took all the inhabitants in the place prisoners and 
separated the men from the women. The men, including myself, were 
bound and marched some half-hour's walk out of the town in the 
direction of Louvain. Amongst us was the mayor, with whom an 
officer in the German stafE had some conversation. Next morning in 
the presence of this officer and another the burgomaster and his son 



58 

and one-third of our whole number were shot by the Germans. T4io 
rest of us were unbound and allowed to go free. On my way back to 
Aerschot I saw the dead body of a woman — a neighbour of mine — 
Jying on the pavement before her house. She had been shot in the 
forehead. In the cattle market I saw the dead body of another woman 
— I did not hear why these women were killed. My house had been 
looted by the German troops, and I got away from Aerschot as fast as 
I could. 

Widow, 

18 The Germans first arrived (at Aerschot) about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 

August 19th. The Belgian soldiers had retreated, I saw them pass 
out of the town. About quarter of an hour after, the Germans 
arrived. Thousands and thousands came into the town, but they did 
nothing. I stayed at home, because I was told (falsely) that the bridge 
had been destroyed, I saw several Uhlans firing a few shots at the 
church for no reason whatever. Then a whole troop came down 
the street, breaking windows all along. All the front doors were shut, 
but the Germans broke them open. (The Germans had issued a 
proclamation that we were to keep om* doors open, but I had not 
heard about it.) They broke my door open with hatchets, and fired 
down the passage where I was standing with an old couple, who lived 
next door. The old man (70 years of age) and I ran away and hid at the 
back of the house ; presently a lot of Germans came along and found 
us. We were taken out and brought into the town (a quarter of an 
hour's walk), but they let us run into a house. On the way I saw the 
Germans ill-treating a priest, who was a Red Cross man. I went back 
home and found my husband Ijang dead outside it ; he had been shot 
through the head from behind — at least the blood was flowing from a 
wound in his forehead, not from the one at back ^ his pockets had been 
rifled. I went to the hospital, and I saw the old man, who had been 
shot in the leg. I went again later and was told he had died. I went 
- home and stayed there till 4.30 ; then I went to my sister's house. 
When they were taking away my husband's body, a German officer 
asked me who had killed him : " Who's done that ? Who's shot that 
man ? It is the Belgians who have done that." I said, " The 
Germans." He said, "It is not a thing that ought to be allowed," 
and shook his head. I came back home to fetch my clothes and 
stopped the night in a neighbour's (next door) cellar. The Germans 
fired on me when I was going there, they were only 10 yards off, but 
they didn't hit me. 

While I was walking about the town I was frequently stopped, 
but on putting my hands up, I was allowed to proceed. When going 
to my sister's, I saw the body of a half-witted young man of 20. I 
knew him by sight. 

When I was in my neighbour's cellar another neighbour — a woman 
^ of about 68 or 70 with grey hair — came and called to us from the street ; 

we did not go out or answer, and in the morning at 4.30 a.m. we found 
her body in the street in front of her door. 

We went to the hospital, where they have very big cellars ; we 
were challenged to stop, but we ran on and the Germans let us pass 
into the hospital. So far as I could see no houses had yet been burnt. 
Thursday, about 10 a.m., I went to my sister's and stayed there till 
Friday, August 21st, in the cellar. At 5 a.m. we came out and fled 
through small villages to Antwerp. We saw the bodies of some 
Belgian soldiers and civilians. We only went through one or two 
streets before reaching the country. We lived on the outskirts of 
Aerschot. I did not examine any of the bodies, I was too frightened ; 
I cannot say whether they were all bodies of men or not. There were 
many houses burning when we left, I saw one whole street burnt to 



59 

the ground — the interior of the houses being gutted, only the outside 
walls left. 

Shoemaker. 
When the war broke out I was living at Aerschot. I am a shoe- c 19 
maker. When the Germans entered the town on 19th August, they 
started a general looting of the houses and shops, which they broke 
into with hatchets. They carried off the contents in motor cars. 
I noticed one car loaded up with cigars. They also seized all the 
bicycles in the place. When the war broke out a German whom I 
knew well by sight had been living in Aerschot some three years. He 
had no apparent occupation, but lived on his means in a small house. 
Occasionally he was away for some time. On the outbreak of war he 
was expelled from Belgium. He came back with the German troops 
and pointed out to them all houses and other property belonging to the 
burgomaster, and the Germans destroyed it all. Many civilians in 
Aerschot were killed by the Germans. I myself saw some 40 dead 
bodies, including three women. They had been shot. About a third 
of the town was biurned out. I saw the Germans setting fire to houses. 
They used a special apparatus, something like a big rifle, for throwing 
naphtha or some similar inflammable substance. In one house, the 
wife of a man whom I knew well was burned ahve. Her husband 
broke both his legs whilst attemptmg to rescue her (jumped from fijfct 
floor window). The Germans with their rifles prevented anyone going 
to help this man, and he had to drag himself along the street with his 
legs broken as best he could. The burgomaster of Aerschot (a very 
kindly, good man) was shot. I do not know why : he was the last 
man in the world to give provocation. 

Priest. 

I was in Aerschot on 19th August when the Germans entered. c 20 
On 20th I walked through the town wearing my Ked Cross badge. 
I saw one civilian and a woman lying dead in the street. The German 
soldiers were then busy in the shops. I did not notice what they were 
doing. In one jeweller's shop there were half a dozen. I was taken 
prisoner, in spite of my badge, to the German encampment outside the 
town and before some officer. He accused the clergy of inciting the 
inhabitants to fire on the troops. I denied it. He then blamed the 
burgomaster. I showed him the notices signed by the burgomaster on 
the walls warning the inhabitants not to do so. [On the morning of 
19th there had been a fight between the Belgians and the Germans. 
On evening of 19th I was told a German general had been shot. The 
German soldiers were firing at the time on the houses and I understood 
he was shot by one of them. So far as I am aware no civilian in- 
habitants at any time fired on the Germans.] He showed me a heap 
of civihans dead who had been shot ; about 20 1 judged. Among them, 
a priest, the burgomaster, his brother and his son. 

I was then marched with the J.P. of the town, his son, the receiver, 
a baker and a draper as hostages and told we would be shot if anyone 
fired on the troops. The next day some of us were again taken out 
and again threatened. This time we were lined up and one German 
told the others to get ready. All this time I had on the Red Cross 
badge. I asked if anybody knew English and explained to an officer 
that I came from America. I was released. The others were released 
afterwards. I stayed on in Aerschot for three weeks longer. 

On 28th August 500 or 600 of the inhabitants, men, women and 
children, were shut up in the church. Two days after the women and 
children were released. The others were kept there until 6th Septem- 
ber and then those under 45 sent to Germany, but they (the Germans) 
were not particular about the age. Some of these prisoners were 
priests who had turned their house into a hospital and were actually 



60 

tending the wounded when taken. They nearly all belonged to the 
Red Cross, They are in Germany now. 

Half of Aerschot was burnt . The market place was full of furniture . 
In all the houses left standing the contents were fouled, broken and 
upset. I myself saw some of the houses broken into and fired. 

For almost the whole time I was kept in my house with a sentry 
before the door. I did not actually see the fixing of the town, but the 
result only. 

Belgian Refugee. 
c 21 I was with my wife and nine children in Aerschot on August 19th 

last when the German army entered. 

At first I saw some houses on fire within 50 metres of my house. 

On the 20th August, I and my two sons were taken prisoners and 
compelled to dig graves. I was kept a prisoner for a day or two. 

On August 30th was forced to walk in company with about 1,500 
men, women and children to Lou vain. The journey took six hours. 
German troops were behind us. 

I saw houses in Louvain burning. 

While I and others were in the Rue de la Station, I saw the Germans 
shoot at us. One man was shot in the leg. Near the station of Louvain 
I saw the bodies of three old men and also others. 

Belgian Refugee. 
c 22 On 21st August last the Germans entered Aerschot and came to 

my shop, which they looted and then broke the windows. They 
threatened my wife with a revolver pointed at her breast, and told her 
she must remain, as being a young woman they might want her 
afterwards. 

We, however, escaped together, and were afterwards told by our 
landlord in Antwerp that our house and shop had been burned down. 

At Beggynendyck, to which place we fled, we saw the young 
daughter, aged 16, of a railway servant, at Aerschot, who showed 
us a bullet wound in her arm, which she said had been inflicted . 
on her by the Germans. She also informed us that they had killed 
her father and mother. 

On our journey there we saw the dead bodies of at least two 
civilians from Aerschot lying on the roadside. 

We ultimately escaped to Antwerp and afterwards came to England 
via Flushing. 

Married Woman. 
c 23 The German soldiers arrived at Aerschot, and afterwards I was 

taken prisoner by them, and taken with a large number of other people 
from Aerschot to the Church of Aerschot and there the whole of the 
prisoners, men, women, and children, were placed. Nobody was 
allowed to go outside the church to obey the calls of natm-e, and we 
were compelled by the German soldiers to use the church for that 
purpose, in the presence of everybody. We were afterwards allowed 
to go outside the chm^ch for this purpose, and I then saw the clergy- 
man of Gelrode standing by the wall of the church, with his hands 
above his head, and being guarded by soldiers, and I could see by the 
appearance around him that men had used him as lavatory. I did 
not actually see any men in the act of doing this, but I saw the dirt 
around him. I had been allowed to take my little children outside the 
church to obey the calls of nature on this occasion. 

I was taken back into the church, and shortly afterwards I heard 
some shooting going on outside, and all the people inside the church 
were very frightened. (I afterwards heard from people who witnessed 
the occurrence that the clergyman had been taken to a place near the 
church and shot dead.) 



61 

I was forced to remain with the other prisoners in the church until 
the following day, and we were allowed to go free, I do not know the 
regiment to which the German soldiers belonged. 

Belgian Refugee (Girl). 

The Germans came to Aerschot one Wednesday shortly after the c 24 
war began. In the afternoon two officers went to the burgomaster 
and arrested him, liis son and a few other civilians. [Two days later 
a man, whose name I can't remember, told me that he had buried 
the bodies of the burgomaster and his son, who had been shot by the 
Germans.] 

Everyone, men, women and children, were forced by the Germans 
to go to the church and locked in. It was about 5 p.m. I was kept 
there two nights and two days. This is the time I was in the church. 
The men had already been there two days before I got there. In the 
morning of the following day, I asked one of the soldiers if I might 
leave the church for a natural purpose. Two other Belgian women 
went out with me. A soldier accompanied us. We went to the w.c, 
which was on the north side of the church. I saw no one either going 
to or from the w.c. 

The Germans let us out on the Eriday afternoon. We were all 
compelled to go to Lou vain. We were forced to sleep in the stables 
of the barracks in Lou vain. About noon on the Saturday we were 
allowed to go home and the soldiers accompanied us as far as the canal. 

When I was locked up in the chiu*oh at Aerschot on the occasion 
when I went out to the w.c. I saw two soldiers bringing the under- 
priest of Gehode along. They were coming from the direction of 
Gelrode and in the direction of the church. When they got to the 
church yard the priest was struck several times by each soldier on the 
head. He was still walking along. They then pushed him against 
the wall of the church. This was immediately after he was struck 
on the head. I heard the priest ask the soldiers if he could stand 
with his face to the wall. He spoke in Flemish. They didn't answer, 
and he tried to turn round. The Germans stopped him, and then 
tm-ned him with his face to the wall with his hands above his head. 
The other two women with me saw and heard all this. Their names are 
unknown to me. I saw the priest standing like this for a minute or so 
whilst I was out of the church. About an hour later I went out again 
alone and saw the priest still standing there, and then the Germans 
came and led him away. Seven of them led him away to another 
house about 50 yards away. They placed him with his face towards 
the wall of his house and five soldiers shot him. They killed him — I 
saw he didn't move. The house was that of L. V. I) . . . I then 
returned to the church. There were many Belgians in the neighbour- 
hood who saw it all. We were allowed to go in and out of the church 
with the leave of the Germans to go just outside. I knew the priest 
well by sight. 

Belgian Refugee. 

I left Aerschot, August 18. I was on duty. I returned a week c 25 
later with my wife and foiu: children. We walked the whole way 
from Brussels to Aerschot. We passed through the village of Werchter 
where there had been no battle, but it had been in the occupation 
of the Germans and on all sides of this village we saw burned-down 
houses, and traces of plunder and havoc. In Wespelaer and Rotselaer 
and Wesemael we saw the same. We did not pass through the village 
of Gelrode but close to it and we saw that houses had been burned 
down there. In Aerschot the Mahnes Street, Hamer Street, the Theophile 
de Becker Street and other streets were completely burned down. Half 
of the Grand' Place had been burned down. We remained at home 
two and a half days. On the third day we were all locked up in the 



62 

church, the whole family. Two thousand of the inhabitants were 
locked up in the church at the time ; we were all locked up there for 
48 hours. We got nothing but dry sour bread. The children got 
nothing else, no milk. One woman who had a child only three days 
old was there. We knew her well, she was the wife of a butcher. 

The second day that we were locked up in the church, at 6 p.m., 
1 went out to relieve natmre : we all had to do that at the door of the 
church, women and children and all, in front of the soldiers. Wiiile I 
was at the door I saw the priest of Gekode placed against the wall 
of the house opposite the church. His hands were raised above his 
head. Five or six soldiers stood immediately in front of him, then 
when the priest let his hands fall down a little, soldiers dropped the 
butts of their guns on his feet. I was only outside about five minutes, 
I was told to go in. We learned afterwards that the priest was shot 
later that evening at another spot, about 100 metres away from there. 
About 8 p.m. that evening the Germans fired at the church for about 
five minutes. The people inside were terrified and hid behind each 
other and under the benches. There was no battle at that time. 
There were no Belgian soldiers there. I believe the soldiers were 
drunk — ^the German soldiers. We were all let out next day at 10 a.m. 
and we were all marched off to Louvain, which is three hours o&. by 
road, walking. There were some very old people, amongst others a 
man 90 years of age. The very old people were drawn in carts 
and barrows by the younger men. My nephew was one of those 
who drew them. There was an officer with a bicycle v/ith us, who 
shouted as people fell out by the side of the road " Shoot them." 

We arrived in Louvain at 5.30 p.m. We were all put standing 
outside the station there. Shortly after shooting began. I did not 
see who shot or where the shooting came from. The shooting lasted 
about three quarters of an hour. I saw a young woman with her child 
on her arm, who came from Aerschot, fall down in front of me struck 
in the leg. The leg had to be cut off next day. Another, a young 
girl of Aerschot, of the same name, was struck. I saw her fall. We, 
my family and I, escaped from Louvain that evening to Heverle and 
remained there eight days. 

Married Woman. 
c26 -'- "^^^ on my way from my parents' house in Beggynendyck to 

Aerschot ; it is only an hour's walk. It was about August 23rd. Two 
German soldiers came to me on the road and said I must go with them 
to the church at Aerschot. It was about 10.30 in the morning. I was 
taken off there alone. There were a large number of people from 
Aerschot in the church. The next morning the women were let go 
home ; I started back to my parents', but on the way was stopped by 
six German soldiers, and was taken back to the church. We were 
aU locked up in the church over that day and the following night. On 
the afternoon of the following, the second day, while we were still being 
kept prisoners in the church, I saw the priest of Gekode standing out- 
side the church ; he was holding up his arms, and he was standing 
against the wall of M. F . . .'s house, which is close by the church. 
The door of the church was open. I knew the priest, Gelrode is only 
a quarter of an hour from our house. This was about 5 p.m., I should 
think. German soldiers stood outside the door of the church. I 
could not say whether they were standing in front of the priest, and I 
did not see them do anything to him. After that there was firing ; 
there was firing into the church through the open door. This was 
done four times. I saw bullets in the chiu-ch, but I did not see that 
anybody was hit. Ishouldsay this was 5 p.m. or 5.30 p.m. The people 
inside the church were terrified and crouched down. The priest of 



63 

Gelrode belonged to the Belgian Risd Cross. I do not know that he was 
shot. 

The whole time we were in the church, three days and two nights, 
we only got dry bread to eat. I cannot say how many were locked 
up ; some said 400, some said 500, and some 600. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I was at Aerschot in middle of August ; as a cj^clist of my company, c 27 
I was at the end of the column. I saw some German infantry soldiers 
kill with bayonets two women who were standing on their doorsteps, 
they were struck several times. I saw the Germans coming into the 
village. I could point out the place where it happened at Aerschot. 
No one was firing at the Germans at the time. I at once reported 
the occurrence to my commandant. 

Belgian Soldier, 

About the end of August in Aerschot a woman whose name I do c 28 
not know showed me and my comrades a baby which she was carrying 
in her arms which had (she said) been strangled by German soldiers. 
She said it was her child, and it was dead. It was three or four months 
old, and she told us the Germans had strangled it while in her arms, 
and I surmise it was because of their anger at having to withdraw. 
I was obliged to follow with my comrades and could not wait to hear 
more. 

I, however, saw the blue marks on the child's neck clearly indi- 
cating that it had been strangled, and all my comrades could see 
them. 

Belgian Soldier. 

At the end of August (two days after the people had been placed c 29 
in the church at Aerschot) I saw a well by the roadside at a place 
about 10 minutes' walk Jrom the village of Aerschot and near to 
some little houses. The well was a round one, and I think it 
was about 5 or 6 metres deep. I went close to the well and saw the 
dead body of a man at the top of it. On the well was written in 
German, " We are going to give him a wash." A comrade of 
mine who knew German told me that this was the meaning of the 
German words, 

I also saw another civilian lying dead against a wall. He had 
been shot, but I did not see him shot. 

I also saw the dead body of another civilian lying close to a house. 
His house had been wrecked, but I do not know whether it had been 
shelled or burned down. This was on the road from Aerschot to 
Lou vain. 

Belgian Soldier. 

At Aerschot there is a long broadway, and in this broadway I saw c 30 
a drinking well opposite a few small houses. In this well I saw the 
body of a man, who had a big head. The water had come over the 
surface, and I judged that there were several bodies in the well — 
probably four or five — but I only saw one body. The well was about 
a metre square. 

Several of my comrades saw this well, but I do not know whether 
any of them are at present in England. 

Behind the well there were some little houses, which had been 
burned down. On the other side there was a newly built farm- 
house, and my officer (I do |not know his name) told me that the 
occupier of the farm had been killed by the Germans. I saw 
the mound in front of this man's house, under which he had been 
buried. 



64 

Belgian Soldier. 

c31 I went with my regiment to Aerschot, and recovered it from the 

Germans. At Aerschot I saw a well, in which was the dead body 
of a man who had been thrown into it by German soldiers. 

A few yards from this well a house was on fire, and the German 
soldiers had prevented the occupants from leaving the house, and 
they had been burned to death. I saw some charred flesh and bones 
in the house, but owing to the stench I did not approach very close 
to it. 

Belgian Soldier. 

c 32 I was with my regiment at Aerschot, I think at the beginning of 

September. We found about 30 men locked up in the church. Officers 
of my company opened the doors and let them out. They were men 
of over 40. The younger ones had been taken away by the Germans. 
They told us they had been kept without food or even water for 
the first two days they were shut up, and on the third day were given 
only bread and water. They said that at first some women had been 
shut up with them, but these had been let go before we ariived. In 
a well, about a quarter of an hour's walk from the church, I saw the 
body of a man of about 35. He was doubled up and I saw his head 
and his knees. The water was about 2^ metres down. It was a 
regular well with a wall built round. I cannot say whether he was 
shot or drowned or how he was killed. 

Belgian Soldier. 

33 At Aerschot I went into four or five houses, and in each of them 

saw blood on the walls, and on the beds. I saw the dead body of 
a woman, but do not know how she met her death. 

I also saw a woman lying wounded, and a girl of about 16 to 17 
years of age was with her. The girl told me that some German soldiers 
had violated her, but she did not say how many. The girl seemed 
quite calm. The woman was her mother. 

I saw a well near Aerschot, and in the well I saw the dead body 
of a man. I also saw houses there, from which white flags were hung, 
and on these houses were marked in chalk with the words " good 
people," in German. 

Belgian Soldier. 

c 34 In the month of September my regiment came to Aerschot. We 

had just driven out the Germans. We were told that a number of 
people were shut up in the church. We all went there. We found it 
true. We went in. There were about 100-120 persons of both sexes 
and all ages above 20 years ; no children. Six or eight were dead, 
four women. They were not wounded. The people told us that 
they had been shut up for a fortnight or three weeks. They had lost 
count. They said the Germans gave them only black bread and water 
every four days and very little then. 

Belgian Soldier. 
c 35 At Aerschot I was with my regiment, and we went to release the 

Belgians who had been shut \ip by the Germans in the church. I 
there saw an old man who had had a bayonet thrust in his right arm. 
We afterwards went towards Louvain, and aboiit an hour's march 
from there we found in a well the dead bodies of a man, a woman, 
and certainly two children. 

After the battle of Louvain, at Alost I saw the body of a little boy 
about 6J or 7 years of age, with four bayonet wounds in it. It was 
stiff and propped against a wall. The Germans had left Alost about 
two or three days before we got there. 



65 

Belgian Soldier. 

I went with Adjutant de N . . . and 20 soldiers to Aerschot. c 36 
The first thing we saw was the body of a young girl of about 18 to 
20, absolutely naked, with her abdomen cut ox^en. Her body was 
also covered with bruises, showing that she had made a struggle. 
She was lying close to a ditch near to Aerschot. 

About a kilometre further I saw the body of a little hoj, aged 8 
or 9, with his head completely cut off. The head was some distance 
from the trunk. 

We, i.e., the company, arrived at Aerschot about the 15th August,* 
and at the church we saw a lot of women and children and old men 
there. They told us they had had no food for two days. Some 
horses had been placed in the church before the people were put there, 
and the floor was in a terrible state ; the inside of the church was 
like a stable. We set the people free. 

Belgian Soldier. 
About the 9th or 10th September I was at Lierre, and then went ° ^'^ 
about that time to Aerschot. My regiment was entrenched there. 
I saw a woman with a child in her arms, about two years old, crossing 
the road lying between our trenches and the Germans. Both sides 
ceased firing for a time, but afterwards the Germans deliberately shot 
the woman when she was about 100 metres away. Our commander 
ordered a bayonet attack on the Germans, v/hich was carried out 
successfully. We found the woman dead, and the child afterwards 
died of wounds. After our charge we went into the house from which 
we had seen the woman come out, and we there found the husband 
of the woman who had been killed, lying dead with seven bayonet 
wounds in the face. One of my comrades was a native of Aerschot, 
and knew the man and woman personally. We drove the Germans 
out of the village. Six of my regiment, including myself, patrolled 
the village. We found one house the door of which had been forced. 
We entered and then found under the table the body of a priest v/hose 
legs had been cut off, one above the knee and the other below. On 
the table there were 10 or 12 bottles of wine and glasses. As the 
Germans retreated they took civilians whom they forced to march 
behind with their hands uplifted to act as a screen. I saw two old 
m.en shot by the Germans, I think because they could not follow 
quickly enough. We were unable to fire, so made a bayonet charge. 



Belgian Soldier. 

About the 11th or 12th of September at Aerschot, we were fighting 
the Germans, and women and children were in the road trying to get 
back to their homes. After our troops had pushed the Germans 
forward, the Germans deliberately fired beyond us at four women, 
a child of 11 or 12 j-ears of age, an infa.nt of six months (about), and 
four other children who were clinging to their mothers' skirts. The 
infant was in its mother's arms, and was riddled with shot which 
passed through into the mother's bod5^ While she was trying to 
crawl into safety on her knees, the Germans still fired at her until 
she died. 

At a village called Putte, between Lierre and Maiines, my patiol 
(myself and four men) came to a farmhouse. We had a sous-ofiicier 
with us who was killed an hour later. The door of the farmhouse 
was pushed back against the wall, and v/e found the dead body of a 
girl apparently 18 years of age, evidently some time dead. Her 
arms were nailed to the door in extended fashion, the front part of 
her dress torn away and her left breast half cut away, and numerous 

* This is a mistake for September. 

C 



c38 



66 

other bayonet wounds on the chest, some piercing through to. the 
back. The sight was so awful we dare not look much, and covered 
her over, having extracted the nails, and laid her on the ground, 
covering her with straw. 

We found two Germans (marines) at the farm, and a number of 
caps having the badge of the 45th Prussian Regiment, and we killed 
the marines. 

At Aerschot I was made a prisoner with 22 other Belgian soldiers, 
shortly after what I have just described. While we were standing, 
tied together, I saw the Germans set fire to houses in which women 
and children were trying to take refuge, and then when the women 
and children came out of the burning houses holding up their arms 
they deliberately shot them — there were great numbers so treated, 
1 cannot say how many. 

All along the main street at the entrance of the town, the houses 
were dehberately set on fke. Not a single shot did I hear fired from 
any house that was set on fire. 

The Belgian troops had already withdrawn from the town, and 
I and my comrades were waiting to attend to our own wounded when 
we were taken prisoners. 

Married Woman. 
c 39 Until lately I was living at Gelrode, a small village near Aerschot. 

On or about the 19th August a great number of German soldiers, 
all of the 49th Infantry Regiment, arrived at Gelrode at about 5 p.m. 
They had come from Aerschot and when they arrived at Gelrode they 
took 25 civilians who belonged to the village, as prisoners. These 
men were all at the time in the church, and were all of the ages of 
between 25 and 30. The German soldiers placed seven of these men 
by the side of a wall in front of my house. There were 15 soldiers 
and they each wore helmets and a man in charge of them had a round 
cap with a star and a little cross and a red band upon it. The officer 
in charge gave some order to the soldiers (I could not understand 
what he said as I only know a few words of German) and two of them 
took out their swords and walking up to where the seven men were 
standing struck two of the men round the neck. One of the men fell 
dead immediately and the second man was v/ounded. The seventh 
man made a movement to run away and the soldiers immediately 
shot the whole of the six men who were against the wall. This 
occurred in what is known as Church Street, Gelrode, and was on a 
Wednesday night (19th August). 

The men who were shot had given no provocation whatever. 
None of them were soldiers, and when the Germans took them out 
of the church they searched them in the middle of the street in my 
presence, but nothing was found upon them in the way of arms. 
The mayor of Geh'ode had previously ordered everyone to give up 
their arms. 

One of the men who were shot in this way was the son of the 
sacristan of the church and was a singer in the church. 

The remaining 18 men, who were all older than the seven men 
who had been shot, were allowed to go. After the Germans left the 
village, a day or two later, the people of the village returned to it 
and they buried these seven men. 

On the day when the Germans arrived most of the people left 
the village. I, however, remained behind with my child, and at the 
time of the firing outside my house there were no other persons in it, 

I remained in my house and at about 12 o'clock the same night 
four soldiers, also of the 49th Regiment, came into the house. My 
child was in the room with me. One of the soldiers said to me in 
German (which I could understand sufficiently to know what he said) 



1 



67 

" Will you give in to us ? " I said " No. I am willing to die with 
my child." The soldier then held a revolver at my head, knocked 
me down and put his knee on my chest whilst a second soldier violated 
me. The second soldier then put his knee on my chest whilst the 
first soldier ^dolated me. The remaining two soldiers did not interfere 
•with me. My child was crying in the room all the time. There were 
no persons who could have heard my cries or come to my assistance 
in any way. I particularly noticed that each soldier had the No. 
" 49 " on his helmet and shoulder strap. I am at present pregnant 
as the result of this violation. 

On the following day (Thursday, 20th August) I was alone in the 
house when a German soldier of the same regiment came in the house 
and asked for butter. I told him I had only one small cow and had 
no butter at present. He said, " Well, you are bound to give me 
what I ask for." I still refused and he went to the door and called 
in two other soldiers, and he said, " This woman is not willing to give 
the butter I asked for." Another German said, " Well, we will make 
soup of the baby." One of them took up my baby which was in the. 
room and took off all its clothes save the vest. They made signs 
that they were going to cut up the baby. I said, " Sm'ely I have not 
done so much harm that you will take the baby ? " At that moment 
somebody outside shouted that there was a Belgian a.eroplane over 
the village. The three soldiers ran out of the house and I then took 
the child in my arms and ran into the wood close by. I remained 
the whole night in the wood. These three soldiers were not the same 
as the men who had been into my house the previous day, but they 
belonged to the same regiment. The soldiers left Gelrode the next 
day and went to Lou vain. 

The main body of the soldiers had been encamped at about 10 
minutes' walk from my house ; the men whom I saw were part of a 
patrol. 

BeLGT.OT RfEFUGEE — SINGLE WOMAK. c 40 

I lived at Gelrode with my brother, who had a large shop there. 

On the 19th August, at about 4 p.m., some German soldiers arrived 
at Gelrode. Some of them belonged to the 149th E,egiment of 
Infantry : there were also some cavalrymen and artillerymen. In 
the evening of that day the Germans made prisoners of 40 or 45 men, 
who were all unarmed civiHans belonging to the village, and placed 
them in the chiu'ch. The men remained there until the following 
morning. I saw the men going into the church on the previous 
evening, and on the next morning I saw 17 of them brought out of 
the church. I was standing at the door of my house and saw seven 
of the men pass my house, surrounded by soldiers who had their 
guns on their shoulders. I asked one of the soldiers in Flemish, 
" What are j^ou going to do with these young fellows ? " He answered 
in German, " We are going to shoot them. They have shot upon us 
and we are going to shoot them." (I could easily understand what 
the soldier said.) The men were ]olaced behind the wall of a house 
not two minutes' walk from mine. I afterwards heard the sound of 
shots, but owdng to the number of soldiers who were in front of me 
I did not actually see them shooting. 

At about 3 o'clock on the same day the Germans left the village 
and I went to the place where the shooting had taken place and there 
saw the dead bodies of the seven men who had passed me in the 
morning. They were all known to me and their names were as under : 

(Seven names given, including that of the son of the sacristan.) 

Some earth had been thrown upon the bodies. Two of the men 
had had their heads smashed. I could see that nearly all of them 



68 

had been shot in the back. There were no marks on the faces of 
any, except the two I have just mentioned. 

At about 6 o'clock that evening I saw the sacristan and I told him 
his son had been killed, and he shortly afterwards came back with a 
wheelbarrow and I assisted him and two other men to bury his son 
at the cemetery. The other six men were afterwards buried by their 
friends. 

The other men who had been imprisoned in the church were set 
free by the Germans before they left the village. There had been no 
women or children with them. 

I have never seen any ci^dlians at Gelrode shooting at the Germans. 
None of them had any arms, and they were all very much afraid of 
the Germans. 

The Germans again entered the village on the following Saturday 
and left on the Monday, During that time nothing happened. 

On a Thursday afternoon at four o'clock at the beginning of 
September the Germans arrived for the tliird time in the village. 
The soldiers then belonged to the 162nd Regiment. There were also 
some cavalrymen. I was then searched by the Germans, and made 
prisoner with my brother and was taken into the church. All the 
men, women, and children whom the Germans could find were taken 
to the church. One woman who had just been confined was taken 
to the chiu"ch on a mattress with her child beside her. We were 
kept in the church all night, and on the following morning we were 
allowed to walk in the cemetery for an hour. We then went back 
into the church, and were given some bread and water. W^e were 
allowed to go out of the church to obey the calls of nature, but always 
under guard. On the Thm'sday night when we were placed in the 
church the women cried with thirst, and I was allowed to go under a 
guard of two soldiers to my house to get water for them. My house 
was then full of officers and soldiers. 

On Friday afternoon we were all taken to Wesemael, about an 
hour's journey from Gelrode, and the women were placed in a school 
there. On the way to Wesemael some of the people threw us some 
food, but the Germans did not give us any food that day. We re- 
mained in the school until the Saturday morning, when at about 
6 o'clock we were set free. 

The men had been placed in the church at Wesemael. My brother 
was amongst them, and I have not seen him since. I believe that 
he is at present in Germany, 

On arriving at my home I found that everything had been pillaged, 
I then saw three nuns, who told me that the Germans had left the 
village at 1 o'clock that morning. 

I know the last witness. Her house is on the hill at Gelrode, and 
is about a minute's walk from the nearest house, I think that she 
is a woman who would tell the truth and I believe that she could 
have seen the shooting of the seven men at the house near my own 
from her house. 

There are about 1,000 people in Gelrode, but most of them fled 
at the a]Dproach of the Germans, and only a few households remained 
behind. Three of the people of the village were shot by the Germans 
as they were trying to flee. I saw these people tying wounded in the 
road, but as there was no doctor in the village there was no one to 
take care of them. The priest of Gelrode then took them to Aerschot 
on a Wednesday in a horse and cart which belonged to me. The man 
who drove the cart, and who is a relative of mine, told me that when 
he arrived at the market place at Aerschot he was seized, and with 
the priest was taken to the Town Hall. The horse was seized by the 
gunners. The man and the priest were kept in the Town Hall for 
a few days and were well fed. Then the man and the priest were 



69 

taken to Aerschot Church and the man was placed inside the church 
with other prisoners. The priest was kept outside the church. On 
the following dsij the man and other prisoners from the church were 
set free. 

I was afterwards informed that the priest had been shot. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On the 19th August, a Wednesday, the German soldiers came to c 41 
Gelrode. On the following day I was taken prisoner with 20 other 
civilians of Gelrode, and was made to march with the soldiers for about 
half a day. Then the whole of us were placed against a wall, and 
the soldiers counted out every third man and shot him. Seven were 
shot and 14 were left. I was amongst the remainder. None of these 
seven men had any weapons. Their names were : — 

(Seven names given, including that of son of sacristan.) 

One of them was married. The other six were young men from 
Gelrode. 

There were a large number of German soldiers and four of them 
were chosen as a firing party, and these four men shot the seven 
civilians by order of the officer. I understood this by signs. Another 
officer had formed the seven men in a row, but apparently from his 
demeanour he did not want to shoot them. The second officer, how- 
ever, gave the order to shoot. I did not hear the words used. The 
officers were clothed differently from the soldiers and wore SAVords. 
Some of the soldiers held the two officers' horses. The soldiers were 
cavalrymen, but I do not know the name of their regiment. 

I heard no reason given for the killing of these men. I was com- 
pelled to helx3 to dig a pit and had to help to carry the dead body of one 
of the civilians to this pit, in which the seven men were buried. This 
was in a field close by the scene of the shooting. 

I and the other 13 civilians were then made to v.alk to Lou vain, and 
we were taken to the church there and kept in it for three days. We 
were each given a little bread and water, once each day ; we were 
allowed to go outside to obey the calls of nature. There were many 
other civihans inside the church. 

I was then allowed to go free with some of the other prisoners. 
Owing to the presence of other German soldiers I hid for four days 
under a bridge between Betecom and Gelrode, and when the Germans 
left the neighbourhood I went to Gekode. I then found that 
my father's house, in which I lived with my wife (whom I found 
subsequently at Betecom), had been burned doAvn. I then went to 
Antwerp. 

Gelrode is a village of about 300 inhabitants. None of the men 
who were taken prisoner with me had any weapons. They had all 
been given up by order of the burgomaster some days before the 
Germans arrived. 

Belgian Refugee. 

In August last, a friend of mine living in Gelrode, about half an c 42 
hour's walk from Aerschot, told me that six inhabitants of Gelrode, 
with one from Aerschot, had been shot by the German soldiers, and 
had been buried in the garden of a house, and he wanted me to help 
him to disinter and rebury the bodies in sacred ground. 

I went with him the next day, and helped by some others we did so. 
I was able to identify the bodies as those of people v,'hom I had well 
known by sight — they were men engaged in civil occupations. 

The bodies had been riddled by shots, and I was shown a brick wall 
against which I was informed they had been made to sta.nd, and the 
marks of bullets were plainly visible. 



.70 

Belgian Soldier. 
a 43 I was serving with my regiment between Aerschot and Gelrode. 

We had been engaged with the Germans for four days, at the end of 
which the Germans marched into Aerschot. This was about the sixth 
week of the war. On the first day of this engagement — it was a 
Wednesdaj^ — I and 20 others of my regiment were acting as an advance 
guard. We were marching towards Gekode from Aerschot along the 
road. At 6.30 in the evening, when we were about 7 or 8 minutes from 
Gekode, I saw a beech tree about 60 feet high. It was standing at 
the side of the road. I saw a woman about 30 hanging from a branch 
on the road side. A rope was round her neck and her feet were about 
12 inches off the ground. Under her feet was a lot of blood. We 
passed by in the middle of the road, but the corporal in charge told us 
to go on. A hundred yards past the tree we were met by a number of 
villagers, who told us that the woman had been bayoneted and hung 
by the Germans at 2.30 on the previous day. We did not stop because 
we could see quite well that the woman was dead. 

Belgian Refugee. 

c 44 f*'^iC On Wednesday the 17th day of August 1914,* I was in the church 
at Gelrode, having been imprisoned there by the Germans who had 
occupied the town. OFrom the church I could see down the road 
through the village, and I saw a number of German soldiers, between 
20 and 30 of them, fire upon and killJ . . . N . . . as she was v/alking 
down the road to her home. She was about 100 metres away from 
the German soldiers when she was shot. 

She had never, so far as I am aware, offered any provocation to the 
German soldiers, and aU Belgian soldiers had left the village the day 
before. 

Belgian Bepugee. 
45J^ When the German soldiers came to Aerschot I was made prisoner, 

along with all the other civilians in the town. We were taken to the 
church at Gelrode. We were not allowed to go outside the church 
to obey the calls of nature. When I asked to go outside the German 
soldier said to me " Sit down. You have to stop in the church, or we 
will shoot you." The German spoke in his own language, but I could 
■easily understand what he said, or what he intended to convey. I had 
to obey the calls of nature in the church in front of all the other people. 

We were afterwards brought out of the church, and made to hold 
up our hands and shout " Vive Germany." The burgomaster of 
Aerschot came up to us with a German Officer and said that we were 
to give up our weapons. These had all, however, been given iip long 
before. 

We were then taken to Louvain. There were about 2,000 prisoners, 
and all had come from Aerschot. One of my fellow prisoners was 
J . . . M . . ., a native of Aerschot. 

We were all placed in Station Street, Louvain, and the German 
soldiers fired upon us. I saw the corpses of some women in the street. 
I fell down, and a woman who had been shot fell on top of me. I did 
not dare to look at the dead bodies in the street ; there were so many 
of them. All of them had been shot by the German soldiers. One 
of the women whom I saw laying dead in the street was a Miss J . . . 
(aged about 35). I also saw the body of A ... M ... (a woman)! ; 
she had been shot. I saw an officer pull her corpse underneath a 
wagon. An order was then given to cease firing, but in fact the firing 

i * Date mistaken. Wednesday was the 19th. 

f See c. 15. This is the woman there referred to as B . . . (whose maiden name 
was A. M.). 



71 

did not cease at that time. I cannot say to which regiment the 
German soldiers belonged. 

I -was informed that we were fired upon by the German soldiers 
because the civilians at Louvain had fired upon the Germans. 

Belgian Refugee. 

Between 2.30 and 3 p.m. on the 14th or 15th August* the Germans c 46 
occupied the village of Campenhout. Three officers of the cavalry Campenhout. 
entered the house of my master and asked for wine and especially for 
champagne. They spoke in French. My master answered that he 
had not got any champagne. One of the officers then caUed on one of 
the soldiers of his regiment who was in the street and asked him in 
German, which language I understand, if it was true that there was no 
champagne in the house. The soldier replied that he himself had 
brought champagne to the house when he was in the employ of a 
merchant who sold champagne in the village of Campenhout. 

The officer threatened my master with his revolver and as he did 
so told me to bring all the bottles of champagne we had in the house 
and put them in the passage within half an hour. Then I and the 
footman went and collected all the champagne there was in the house, 
about 100 bottles, and all other bottles of wine, there were several 
hundred bottles, and we put them in the passage, piling them in a line 
about four deep. The officers then went into the drawing-room and 
called the two sentries outside and ordered all the bottles to be put 
into a wagon and that I was to bring 10 bottles of champagne into the 
room for them. They then drank the whole 10 bottles, drinking out of 
the bottle themselves. After that they called for more bottles and 
invited another five or six officers and three or four private soldiers to 
come in. They also asked for glasses. They knocked the tops off the 
bottles and drank the wine. They then asked for my master and 
mistress. By this time they were all very drunk and Avere' not able 
to drink any more, but were breaking the bottles which they made me 
continue to bring from the passage. My nmster and mistress came 
along the passage and my master pushed my mistress in front of him 
into the room as she was unwilling to enter. He thought it was 
advisable to go in as the Germans had ordered them to come. Im- 
mediately my mistress came in one of the officers who was sitting on 
the floor got up and putting the revolver to my mistress's temple he 
shot her dead. The officer was obviously drunk. I think he was an 
officer, because he was alwaj^s giving orders. He wore a yellow cord 
across his breast and another one hanging over his arm. I did not see 
the number of the regiment, but they had yellow epaulettes. I could 
easily recognise the man if I saw him again. I should think he was 
about 40 years old. The other officers continued to drink and sing 
and did not pay great attention to the killing of my mistress. The 
■officer who had shot my mistress then told my master to dig a grave 
and bury my mistress. I then asked the officer if I might dig the 
grave. The officer rephed that my master must do it himself and that 
he would see that it was done. My master and the officer then went 
into the garden, the officer threatening my master with his pistol. 
My master was then forced to dig the grave and to bury the body of 
my mistress in it. My master and the footman then managed to 
escape by a back door. I helped them to get away. When the 
officers found out that my master and the footman had gone they took 
me prisoner and locked me in another room, the second drawing-room. 
The next morning they told me that I must march with about 50 other 
inhabitants to Cologne to make fortifications there. We marched for 
two days without any food or drink till on the road from T^ouvain to 

* This date ia apparently inaccurate. It should be a few days later. 



■ 72 

Liege we were rescued by a body of Turcos who attacked our guards 
and freed us. 

Before my mistress was shot the German soldiers had been firing 
off their revolvers at the mirrors and the window panes. I cannot 
say for what reason they killed my mistress. The officer who did it was 
singing all the time. 

The morning we left the village the soldiers sprinkled the wood- 
work of the shutters and the doors with a sort of syringe containing 
some inflammable liquid, and then set a light to these places with a 
torch. The v/hole village was burnt. I heard one of the officers say 
that the civil population had fired on them. 

The footman saw my mistress killed also. I met my master 
again in Ostend, and he told me he was going to a brother of his 
in Holland. He only had 200 francs left. I do not know where 
the footman is. 

BBLGiAisr Soldier. 
c 47 I am a cyclist, and early in September I entered Campenhout with 

the advance guard of my regiment. Campenhout is a village near 
Louvain. The Germans had been there but had evacuated the village. 
As I passed through I saw the dead body of a woman lying at the side 
of the road with a severe wound right across the breast, I passed 
through Campenhout but made no stay in the village. 

Widow. 

c 48 On the 18th of August at about 8 in the morning the German soldiers 

Kotselaer. came into my house at Rotselaer, entering by the back and front 
doors. My husband was in the house and one child, also my husband's 
brother and two neighbours, who were civilians. There was also a 
sister-in-law of my husband's. There were seven German soldiers. 
They said that all the men had to go with them. I do not know 
German, but I understood this. They took all the men with them and 
ordered the women outside. They took the men about 200 metres 
away ; when they got about 100 metres av/ay one German soldier 
turned round and shot at me. I was crying at the time and my child 
was on my arm. They did not hit me. I ran away and did not see 
what happened to my husband. 

About half an hour later I was told that ihej killed my husba,nd. 
I never saw his body. 

My husband's brother and his sister-in-law and the two neighbours 
who were in the house v/ere all killed, so I was told. I do not know 
of any reason why they were killed ; no reason was given. 

The same day that my husband was idlled I ran away from Rot- 
selaer with my child. I went to Wilsele. I stayed there for four 
days and then went to Antwerp and from Antwerp to England. 

Belgian Refugee. 
c 49 I was engaged to be married to a girl who lives at Rotselaer. On 

the 18th of August I came to Rotselaer to see my betrothed. In 
front of a farm, which was burning, I saw four bodies * lying ; there 
were four men. I have no knowledge of how these people were 
kiUed. I was taken prisoner by the Germans myself on this same 
day and they robbed me of everything that I had got. They then 
let me go. I do not know where my betrothed is or her sister. 

Belgian Refugee. — Married Woma.n. 
c 50 One day in August my husband was taken prisoner by the German 

* One of these bodies was that of the last witness's husband. 



73 

soldiers in the morning. In the afternoon I was also made prisoner, 
Avith my six children. There were about 500 women and children 
taken prisoners, and we were taken in carts along the road to Louvain. 
All of the people came from Rotselaer. 

While we were on the road to Louvain we passed a place called 
Wilsele. The soldiers went to the house there and dragged a young 
man, a cixilian, of about 20 years of age, from the house. The father 
and mother were there also. He tried to get away from the soldiers 
to rejoin his father and mother. He was throAvn into the gutter (or 
channel) on the road about five minutes' distance from his own house, 
and there he was shot dead with three shots. I saw this. The man 
fell dead and the Germans left him lying there. The people who were 
vvith me, and who also saw it, said that the young man had been killed 
because he had refused to come with the Germans. I did not see any 
officers amongst the soldiers when this j^oung man was shot. There 
were a very large number of soldiers in all with the civilia.n prisoners. 
They were infantrymen, followed by six or seven who rode bicycles. 
The ordinary soldiers had round caps, and the officers had helmets 
with spikes, and had stripes on their arms, and were dressed in grey. 

When we arrived at Louvain, we, i.e., men women, and children, 
were placed in a stable, and spent the night there. There were no 
horses in the stable. On the following morning we were given a little 
cake each, but it was too hard to eat. We were given some water from 
the pump. We had to sleep on straw. 

In the morning I was allowed to go free with my children. I then 
v/ent back to Rotselaer. I had to carry raj little child, aged 2-| years, 
and at the time I was expecting my confinement, which took place 
here 17 days ago. 

When near Rotselaer I saw the dead body of a man. His face was 
shattered, in my opinion, with a blunted instrument. A little further 
on I saw the dead body of another civilia,n. I had seen these men 
alive a short time previously, but I do not know their names ; they 
were from Rotselaer. I was told that these men had hidden in the 
v/oods, and had been dragged from the woods by German soldiers, and 
shot because they had hidden themselves. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On Monday, 26th of August [at Rotselaer] about 4 o'clock in the 
afternoon, a German officer came into my room with his revolver 
in his hand. He said, " You are my prisoner, follow me." He 
had already taken prisoner the cure, v/ho was down below ; there 
was with me another priest. On the way the officer, who was fol- 
lowed by two soldiers, said to us, " Just now in the village two of 
our hussars have been killed." This was an absolute lie, because, 
two hours afterwards, an officer of higher rank said to me, " If any 
act of hostility is committed against our soldiers during the night 
3^ou will all be shot and the village sacked." Then I was put in 
prison in a house AAdth the other priest for about half an hour. After- 
wards the officer took us out and brought us into the street to a group 
of my parishioners, of whom three were selected to be shot with me in 
case of hostilities. Thereupon a colonel came up and tmeatened to 
shoot all of us in case of hostihties. One of my parishioners suggested 
to me to ask the colonel to shut us up in the church, so that it might 
be impossible for us to do anything. The colonel answered that the 
women and children were also shooting. Nevertheless we Avere shut 
up in the chm^ch until next day. In the evening a general came to \a.y 
down his conditions to us. The next morning many women and 
children were brought to the church. The clock ha\ring stopped 
during the night, I was accused of having done it for the purpose of 
spying. I answered, " I knew nothing of it." In the afternoon we 



c51 



74 

had to march to Louvain, about two hours' march, where we arrived 
about half past five in the evening. After two halts in the main 
square and in front of the station we were shut up in a train about 
9 o'clock at night. It was a train composed of cattle trucks, where we 
passed the night. 

The next morning about half-past five the train started, and we 
arrived at Cologne about 11 in the evening. We received nothing to 
eat on the way, but there were women with us who had brought a 
little bread with them, which they distributed. There were other 
prisoners in the train who came from Louvain and other villages also. 

At Cologne we passed the night in large halls v/hich had been pre- 
pared for a local exhibition. We had not yet received anything from 
the Germans, but they gave a little milk to the children at the station. 
About 9 o'clock in the morning (Sattu-day) we received some bread. 
About 10 o'clock we were brought back to the station. W"e started at 
midday to return to Belgium, and arrived at Brussels on the Monday 
morning, having taken about 38 hours on the journey. We spent the 
whole night outside Liege. During that time the Germans gave us 
nothing to eat. but at Liege the inhabitants gave us something. At 
Brussels we remained 12 hours in the train. At 2 o'clock in the after- 
noon we were compelled to march from Schaerbeek towards Malines, 
where we arrived about half -past nine in the evening and there we 
were abandoned and left free. The women and children, and the old 
men who could not march remained at Brussels. Before midday the 
Germans gave us a piece of bread ; the burgomaster had provided for 
it. On our journey back the train was composed of ordinary railway 
carriages, but in the carriage in which I was there were 43 and 5 guards, 
though there was room only for 23. 

While we were at Louvain I heard a German officer sa,j to another, 
pointing to some houses which were uninjured, " All this is still to be 
burnt." They were speaking French. I saw a German officer who 
spat in the face of my cure. I think that was at Aix-la-Chapelle. 

Ageicultueal Labotje.es., 
<5 62 In the village of Rotselaer there was a girl named M . . . who was 

well known to me. 

About four weeks ago, the'day before -tihe -Germans came to Rotselaer 
I saw and spoke to her. She was then in her sound senses. 

The next day the Germans occupied Rotselaer, and all the in- 
habitants were taken prisoners -and put in the church there. Among 
others I saw M . . . She was in a wild and demented state. 

While we were in the church some German soldiers came in. As 
soon as M . . . saw the German soldiers she began cursing and swear- 
ing at them in a very loud voice. This was in the presence of myself 
and m.any others. She made it clear that she had been dragged into a 
wood b}^ five German soldiers, and had been violated by these men. 

The German soldiers in the church were furious with M . . ., and 
.they tied her hands and feet together so that she could not move. 

After the Germans left M . . , was put into an asylum in Louvain. 

COMMEECIAL AgENT. 

r 53 On the 19th August I left Ostend, intending to go to Burdinne, near 

Tremeloo. Liege, to see my wife's solicitor. I could not get to Burdinne as I 
was prevented by the German patrols in the neighbourhood. Near 
Tremeloo I saw a woman seized by four German soldiers. They 
threw her on the ground in a little copse, tore off her clothes and 
raped her — all four of them in turn. I was about 300 yards off. 
Having no v/eapon I was compelled to allow them to commit this 
beastly act. The woman was struggling and screaming. It was 
her screams -^^'hich attracted my attention. Finally the soldiers went 



75- 

away and I went up to the woman and found her in a dreadful state. 
She was crying and groaning and lamenting. She was fairly well 
dressed. She told me that she had dug her nails pretty deep into 
one of the soldiers, and she had in fact a quantity of blood and bits 
of skin in her nails. She told me that she would most certainly be 
able to identify the man in question if she lived to be 100. She 
spoke Flemish. She told me her name and that she lived at Louvain. 
Tremeloo is an easy hour's walk from Louvain. I left the woman 
in the copse after consoling her as well as I could. I knew that she 
was in her own country. As for myself, finding it impossible to 
get to Louvain, I turned round and went to Brussels so as to get to 
Ostend as quickly as possible. On the 17th September I met an 
Antwerp lady on the road between Brussels and Ghent. Her name 
was de S . . . and she told me that she had recently been married,. 
She appeared to be 23 or 24. She told me that her husband was with 
the army and that she had gone to stay with, her uncle at Louvain, 
and that 17 German soldiers had raped her in a house in Louvain 
which had been deserted by its inhabitants. This happeiied at the 
time when the Germans committed the Louvain atrocities. I asked 
the lady to take a letter from me to my mother at Antwerp. She 
did so, and my mother told me that she had told her (my mother) 
the same story of rape which she told me. 

Note by Examining Barrister. — There is an apparent discrepancy 
in this deposition. The witness says that the Germans tore off the 
woman's clothes ; later on he says that she was fairly well dressed.. 
The latter statement was made by the witness in answer to a question 
by me as to the condition of life of the woman, whether she was a 
peasant woman or a person of a superior class,, and his answer was 
merely intended to show that the woman in question was not a peasant 
or working class woman. 

Belgian Eefugee. 

The Germans came to Tremeloo in August. I do not know the c 54 
exact date, but it was on the same day as they entered Louvain, 
The civilians then fled from the village, but they returned on the 
following day. 

T. P. T. had remained in the village, and he afterwards told my 
father that a man named G . . . had been killed by a bayonet wound- 
I afterwards saw the dead body of the young man in the school at 
Tremeloo. I saw that the clothing on the left side of his breast had 
been pierced by a lance. I knew this man. There was blood on his 
clothing where it was cut. 

He was 23 years old and was training to be an advocate. 

I also saw the dead body of a man whom I knew, a man aged 
41 or 42. He was in his o-\vn house. He was clothed. There was. 
a cut on his clothing over his heart. There was blood on the clothing. 
The clothing had been pierced with a lance. The priest told me that 
this man had been found in a small furrow in a field and that he had 
been killed by Uhlans, who carried lances. 

Fortj^-seven of the houses in Tremeloo were burned on the same 
day, after an engagement between the Belgian and the German, 
soldiers. I do not know in what way the Germans burned the houses. 
T. P. T. told me he had spoken to the German general on the subject 
of the burning of the 47 houses and the killing of the two civilians, 
and thr.t the general had said, " We have finished burning, but we 
did not murder." The German general told T, P. T. that he had 
seen G . . .'s papers after his death, and had discovered that he 
was a heutenant of the " Burgher Wacht " and that he had a Belgian 
flag around his arm. 

The men of Tremeloo between the. ages of 20 and 50 who were not 



76 

soldiers had been enrolled in the " Burgher Wacht " (I did not join 
because I could not spare the time). Before the Germans came three 
men belonging to the " Burgher Wacht " kept guard, one only of 
which was armed. On the day before the Germans arrived all the 
arms of the " Burgher Wacht " had been given up, by order of the 
chief officer, and none of the civilians were armed when the Germans 
arrived. 

Within 10 days of the above occurrence the priest and the vicar * 
of Tremeloo were made prisoners by the Germans, and since then 
none of the inhabitants had seen or heard of them ; this was before 
I left Tremeloo. 

Belgian Refugee. 
55 On August 19th the Germans came into Tremeloo. The same day 

they burned 37 houses. They set fire to them ; I did not see them 
setting fire, but I sav/ that the houses had been burned down. It 
was the next day that I saw the burned-down houses. They were no 
longer burning. On the day that the Germans came in I fled to a 
large wood, half an hour away from Tremeloo. Over 200 of the 
villagers, including my mother and stepfather, eight of us all in family, 
fled there and spent the night on the ground. The Germans left the 
next day. We came out of the wood and went back to our houses 
at 8 a.m. that morning ; the Germans had already left. 

By a ditch in the village road I saw the body of a young man of 
Tremeloo, of 23 years, G . . .,t a well-to-do man. He was stabbed 
through the heart, the stab coming out behind. I saw the marks of 
it myself ; also he had the appearance of having been heavily beaten. 
I saw also the body of a villager,! who was the father of five children. 
His body lay on chairs in his house ; I was told it had been found in 
the morning near the path ; it was beHeved that he had been killed 
in taking flight. I saw the mark of a bullet-wound in the temple and 
of a stab in the arm, I cannot say in which arm. 

The 19th August was a Wednesday, I do not forget that day. 
There had been fighting between the Belgian and German troops that 
day on the east side of Tremeloo and a little of it in the village itself. 

The next day, when we came back on the east side of Tremeloo, 
I saw corpses of five Belgian soldiers and the grave of a German officer 
with a German inscription on a cross " Slain, August 19th." I cannot 
remember the name. The 37 burned-down houses were also on the 
east side of Tremeloo. 

Belgian Rbfijgee. 
c 56 The German soldiers burned all the houses in Tremeloo in two days. 

They also captured all the male civilians they could find. They also 
burned the houses at Werchter. First time they burned 15, second 
time nearly 150, third time about two, and fourth time three. My 
house was burned and I fled with my family. 

My wife's mother and my sister-in-law, who lived also in Werchter, 
went to my house to look after the cattle. This was about six weeks 
ago. I was then with my family at Bael, near Tremeloo. My house 
was burned and my sister and mother-in-law said that they went into 
a little place near the stable which had not been burned, and while 
they were getting ready for a little meal four German soldiers arrived. 
They asked if there were any men near. The women told them that 
the men had run away from the town because the Germans were 
taking the civilians as prisoners. The soldiers then said, " You need 
not run away from us, you are in safety here." At midnight the four 
soldiers returned, and after two of them had searched the stable 
to see if any men were there, the four soldiers violated my mother-in- 
law and my sister-in-law. They held a revolver at the two women 
before violating them. 

* i.e., curate. ■[■ These are the bodies referred to by the last witness. 



77 

My sister-in-law, who is unmarried, had with her a baby four 
months old. She was asked whether the child was the son of a Belgian 
soldier. She rephed that it was not. They said that if it had been 
the son of a Belgian soldier they would have killed it. (My sister- 
in-law was engaged to be married to a Belgian soldier, who was the 
father of the child.) 

After they had violated the two women the soldiers told them 
that they must stay at the stable and that they (the soldiers) would 
bring them food and drink. 

When the four soldiers left, the two women went out of the stable 
and hid. About a quarter of an hour later, while they were 
still hiding, the women saw six different soldiers going to the 
stable. 

On the following day the women came back to Bael. When I saw 
them they were both in tears, and the elder woman told her husband 
and my wife and myseK that the soldiers "did what they wished 
with us." My mother-in-law looked very ill, and she has been very 
ill since as the result of what the soldiers did to her. My sister-in- 
lavv^ did not seem so distressed as her mother. The women said that 
the German soldiers were dressed in grey. I do not know where the 
two women are at the present time. We became separated at Heyst, 
not far from Lierre. I have not heard of and from them since that 
day. 

Belgian Soldier. 

In the month of September I was on patrol duty near Tremeloo e 57 
by Lou vain. We heard groaning and saw some Germans running 
off ; we entered a wood where we heard the groaning and found a 
young girl naked on the ground and covered with scratches. She 
had fainted. Her clothes were under her. We carried her to a 
half-destroyed house and partly washed her to revive her. She 
told us she had been taken from a burnt-out village (Tremeloo) 
about 800 yards from the wood, and dragged to the wood and 
violated by some six or seven Germans. She appeared to have 
been so treated as the lower part of her body was covered with 
marks and scratches. 

The same day in Tremeloo we found an old woman kneeling by 
her husband who was just dead and still warm, an old man of 72. 
She told us the Germans had shot him as they (she and her husband) 
tried to escape from the house. He was shot through the leg and 
through the head. The bullet in the leg was a German bullet. We 
took it from the leg to show the woman it was not a Belgian bullet 
as she said at one time. She seemed haK mad with grief, and first 
said it was the Germans and then us. A battle had lasted four days 
hereabouts. The 22nd or 23rd October, just after 5 o'clock we were 
advancing. On the left front we saw some Germans waving an 
English flag and making signs for assistance. Some of us went to 
their assistance and were fired at by three mitrailleuses concealed in 
houses, and nearly all killed or wounded. We then found out they 
(the ones who had signalled to us) were Germans. This was on the 
banks of the Yser between Nieuport and Pervisse (? Pervyse). 

Belgian Soldier. 
About the middle of September after leaving Rotselaer I was in c .58 
a village which I think is Tremeloo. An old man called to me, ard 
showed me the body of a woman of about 30 lying in a ditch by the 
roadside. The body was lying under a sack, the blouse open at the 
neck ; I saw blood. . The old man said that she was cut right down 
from the neck, downwards through the chest, and that the Germans 
did it. I did not myself look under the sack. 



7S 

GoRPOKAii IN Belgian Army. 

c 59 In Tremeloo, the beginning of October, I and four others entered 

a house which had been half destroyed. In the cellar we found a man 
and a woman dead. The blood was still flowing. They appeared 
to have been beaten and kicked to death. I saw no bayonet wounds. 
The cellar was intact, so they had not been killed there by falling 
masonry. By their side was a little girl dressed. Both hands had 
been cut off and were on the floor. She was still alive but could not 
speak. She was about seven years old. We took her to the ambu- 
lance, but she died. I saw no Germans there at the time. We 
retreated in the afternoon. What we saw was about 8 a.m. The 
Germans had been in possession. We saw their writing on doors 
of the houses. I know a little German and can recognise the writing. 
I also saw a German outpost on one occasion advancing to find 
out where our trenches were. There were three Germans, each 
carried two children and they drove about six men and women in 
front of them with their hands tied. We could not fire and the 
Germans, when they found out where our trenches were, went back, 
with the men and women following this time, so we judged they were 
the parents of the children. They were crying and did not try to 
escape. The children were only from two to three years old and 
the Germans were able to hold them both and their revolvers as well. 
The Germans came within 10 yards of us. 

Belgian Refugee. 
c 60 The 22nd August the Germans arrived at Wespelaer. 

Wespelaer. Wespelaer is a village of 1,600 persons. 

The first day I was threatened that if a single shot was fired that 
night, I and a hundred of the most vigorous male inhabitants would 
be shot. The under lieutenant Ida made use of the threats as spokes- 
man for his majors and superiors. 

I was compelled to go round with a guard to collect such of the 
inhabitants as lived on the other side of the line (these were lodged 
in the church), the Germans fearing attack from that side. 

The Red Cross Hospital, which I had founded when the war began, 
was opposite the church. It had been accepted officially by the 
Belgian Government. I had a doctor and ten stretcher-bearers, 
eight were made prisoners the 28th August "without any reason at all. 

When the first Germans arrived they threatened to shoot some 
of the inhabitants for firing on a patrol of Uhlans, but I had myself 
seen the shooting which was by a detachment of Belgian soldiers, 
and I so informed the officer in command. These Germans left on the 
Sunday, having killed nobody. Others arrived during the week.; 
a whole army corps passed through. They took all day passing. 

For no reason these began burning and killing. No inhabitant 
had done anything, and as no Belgian soldiers were then in the neigh- 
bourhood, no mistake on the subject was possible. The 25th August 
the burning began. The Germans shot the owner of the first house 
burnt on his doorstep, and his girl 20 years old inside. I was on the 
spot within half an hour. Thirty-one. people altogether were shot, 
two women included, no children. Seventy houses had been burnt 
when I left. I only saw one person shot with my own eyes — a man 
who had an old carbine in his house. It had not been used. He 
was not carrying it. 

An engagement took place on 25th August. Wounded were 
brought in to the hospital, and some to private houses. The Germans 
fired at least twenty times at me as I left the hospital after looking 
after the wounded. Five wounded were received by a resident in 



1 



79 

his house. On 25th or 26th August the Germans pillaged this house 
and set it on fire. It was burnt to the ground with the wounded 
inside. No one was left to move them, having all fled. 

A married couple, 80 years old, were burnt alive in another house. 
The old man's son and daughter-in-law hved with him. They managed 
to escape, but badly burnt about the arms and face. I did not see this 
house set on fire, but the Germans pillaged every house before setting 
it ahght, and must have laiown of the people inside. The son and 
daughter-in-law were in the cellar, but the old persons were in bed. 

A girl, whose name I have, was raped by the Germans. She was 
a girl of good character. She told me herself. She gave me no 
details. Her father and brothers were amongst those shot. 

I was made prisoner the 28th August between 7 — 8 o'clock. I do 
not know why. I had been helping to see after the wounded, and 
was on my way to assist in burying the dead. My last two stretcher- 
bearers were taken prisoners at the same time. I was liberated 
29th August about five o'clock. While a prisoner I was given a glass 
of water and a little sugar — nothing else. At first the column of 
prisoners was about 700-800, all men ; afterwards they increased to 
2,000. I was kicked and struck with the fist. The officers saw this 
and did not interfere. 

Belgian Eefugee. 

About August 24th I came back from Antwerp to Wespelaer. c 61 
The Germans had come in the same day. I saw both cavalry and 
infantry and also soldiers with bicycles. A great many houses there 
were already burning. About 200 men were taken prisoners by the 
Germans that day. I was amongst them. I was taken prisoner in 
the street and was four days a prisoner. I was taken from Wespelaer 
to Thildonck. I was first taken to Campenhout. In a field there 
about a hundred of us were being kept prisoners. Two old men of 
Campenhout were amongst the prisoners — both about 70 years of 
age. Their sons were amongst the prisoners. One of the old men 
was somewhat imbecile. Both were slow in coming out of their 
houses. When the German soldiers had gone in to fetch them out, 
they seemed not quite to understand what they were to do, or what 
they were wanted for. They were slow in coming along on to the 
field where we were all placed. The German soldiers told them to 
move on more quickly. They shot both in my presence. I saw it 
myself. They shot both in the head. 

I saw houses burned in Campenhout by the Germans and in other 
places where we were kept while prisoners. 

My brother-in-law was taken prisoner at Wespelaer four days 
after me. He was an artisan ; he was not a soldier. He and two 
other burghers from Wespelaer were put on their knees against the 
wall of a house in Wackerzeel and were shot through the head. 

I was set free in Campenhout. Ten days later in Wygmael I saw 
German soldiers fire on soldiers forming part of a Belgian patrol. 
Of two of these soldiers I saw that one was shot dead ; the other was 
hit and fell from his horse, but he was only wounded. He was lying 
on the ground. I saw a German soldier beat him to death with the 
butt of his rifle. 

Belgian Refugee. 
The Germans arrived (at Wespelaer) August 24th about. The c 62 
first night they were there they started burning the houses and kilhng 
civilians. I had gone off to my sister's, 5 miles away, at Boort 
Meerbeek. We stayed there one night, and till midday (25th). The 
Germans threatened us with revolvers at our breasts ; they were 
smashing up the bicycles. 



80 

On my way back I saw the dead body of a civilian who Hved at 
Wespelaer, lying at one side of the road. He had been shot in the 
face. At Boort Meerbeek I saw a donkey cart containing a man 
Aidth his mother and sister. The man had been shot dead, the sister 
was wounded in the leg, and the old woman was wailing. I knew 
him ; he lived only five minutes away. 

When I got home, I found my farm in flames, with all the live 
stock (except the horses, which I was told had been taken by the 
Germans) in the sheds. My wife and children were with me then. 
We went away, and came to the house of a near neighbour ; the house 
was burning, and I was told by the youngest daughter (13 years old) 
that the Germans had fired into the house and then set it alight, and 
that her father and sister were then inside and were burnt to death, if 
they had not been already killed. 

Vve went on to my father's house and M'ere there for two days 
and nights, and had to provide meaJs for the Germans. But 
they behaved quite well. Then the fighting began, and we fled to 
Antwerp. 

I went back by m3^self, and saw my father's house in flames ; 
about 50 houses v/ere burnt in Wespelaer. There had been bom- 
bardment there. One of them was burnt, so I was told, when the 
owner and an old man of 80 and his wife and son were in it ; the 
son rushed out in flames, and I saw him being taken to a convent at 
Thildonck near by ; but I think he must have died. I saw the house 
in flames. 

I saw many men taken away by the Germans, boys, and even old 
men of 70 ; all that they could find. 



Belgian Befugbe. 
c 63 I was a member of the Garde Civique at Wespelaer, but before 

the arrival of the Germans I had to give up my weapons. 

On the 25th August, upon the approach of the Germans, I ran 
away from Wespelaer, and my neighbour, a woman whom I knew 
well, and her son (aged 30) and daughter (aged 35) were shot by the 
German soldiers when about 100 yards from their house. The woman 
was killed and the son was wounded in the head, and the daughter 
in the leg. I did not stop as I was fleeing from the Germans. The 
soldiers were infantrymen, but I do not know the name of their regi- 
ment. The civilians were all unarmed, and the people were fleeing. 
The husband of the woman and one of his daughters got away. There 
had not previously been any engagement in the town between the 
German and Belgian troops. I went with my f amity to Malines 
and at the end of two days we returned to Wespelaer. I then saw 
the woman, who was dead, and also her son and daughter, who were 
wounded, and who had laid in the road for two days. The two latter 
were taken to a hospital at V\7^espelaer, and the daughter afterwards 
went to a convent at Thildonck. 

On my return to Wespelaer I saw the dead bodies of three other 
persons, namely, a la,bourer, and his daughter, a schoolmistress, who 
lay in front of their house, and a third man, a gardener, who was 
Ijdng behind some corn sheaves. I saw the wife of the first man ; 
each had been shot. I saw the bullet wounds. The labourer was 
shot through the stomach. I did not see the daughter's wound. 
The gardener was shot in the head. The woman told me that he and 
his daughter had been shot while fleeing from the Germans. These 
people all belonged to Wespelaer. 

A few days later some German soldiers arrived at Wespelaer, and I 
again left the town. 



81 

Belgian Refugee. 

I cannot remember the date ; I was taken prisoner by the Germans c 64 
with 1,200 other civilians. A man was taken from among our 
number, placed against a wall 100 j^ards away, and shot by six soldiers 
by order of an officer. I do not know the regiment. This was at 
Wespelaer. I also saw the priest of Bueken tied to a gun-carriage and 
taken off towards Brussels. This was at Bueken. We were made to 
fetch water from a well at Twintgat accompanied by an officer and four 
soldiers. Near the well lay four bodies of civilians, three men and one 
woman. We were compelled by the soldiers to clap our hands when 
we saw them. 

We were shut up in burned and ruined houses on the chaussee 
betAveen Lou vain and Campenhout. Then we saw other bodies partly 
burned, and the German soldiers compelled us to clap our hands again. 

I was four days a prisoner, and during those four days I and my 
companions were compelled to march in front of the German troops 
to protect them from the fire of the Belgians. 

During these four days we had six cups of water and five pieces of 
sugar a piece. 

Belgian Soldier. 

At the commencement of the war I was in the Belgian Army, and d 1 
served with the Carabineers, stationed at Malines. I had previously Malines. 
been a reservist for eight years. 

On the 27th* August, as I was walking with mj regiment at Malines, 
in the morning, I saw a German soldier about 150 metres from me. 
There were other German soldiers with him, and they were running 
away from my comrades ; they were not in military formation ; 
and, as far as I could see, they all wore the same uniform. 

Two women, one of whom I took to be the mother of the other, 
were close to a house, and were together. The German soldier,- whom 
I have mentioned, struck the elder woman in the middle of the back 
with his bayonet, and I saw the blade coming through her breast as 
she faced me. She immediately fell dowii. I was then about 100 
metres from her. The younger woman was a simple peasant, and 
wore nothing but a skirt, a blouse, and under it a chemise. The soldier 
immediately pulled off the blouse of the younger woman, and her 
breasts were quite naked. I saw him then cut off both the woman's 
breasts, and I saw two large red wounds on the vvoman's chest. I be- 
lieve this was done with his bayonet, but it may have been done with a 
knife, as the German soldiers also carry knives. The woman fell dead. 
When this happened I was then about 50 metres away from the soldier. 
I immediately shot the soldier, and he fell. Several other soldiers also 
witnessed this. 

There was no justification for the killing of these women. After 
I shot the soldier I walked on and passed near the bodies of the two 
women and the soldier. There were no officers with me at the time ; 
I am a sergeant, but wa,s not in charge of the Belgian soldiers. 

The Belgian soldiers recaptured Malines on that day. During the 
engagement women were in the streets of the town, but as soon as thej^ 
saw the German troops they fled into their houses. I think that the 
soldier who killed the two women must have been drunk. 

I saw the dead bodies of several other women in the streets of 
Malines (I think there were between 10 to 12) who had been killed in 
different streets of the town near their owm houses on the same day 
(27th August). I cannot say how they were killed, and it is possible 
that they may have been killed during the progress of the battle be- 
tween the Belgians and the troops. The women were of all ages. 

* This should be the 25th. 



82 

I have lost the power of my wrist, and was discharged frgm the 
Belgian Army as unfit for further service. 

BELGiAisr Soldier. 
d 2 On or about the 26th August, at Malines, I saw a German soldier 

strike a woman of about 50 years of age, and her son aged about 18, 
with his bayonet. I at once shot the German and killed him. I after- 
wards saw the bowels protruding from the woman's body. The 
German bayonet on being withdrawn inflicts a tearing wound. The 
son's hands had been cut off and his stomach was also cut. Neither 
oi these persons had given any provocation whatever. This happened 
just before an engagement between the Belgian and German troops, 
I do not know the name of the regiment to which the German soldier 
belonged. The other members of my regiment who were with me 
also witnessed this, but I cannot «ay whether any of them are at present 
in England. 

I assisted to place the bodies of the woman and her son in a cafe 
close by. 

Belgian Refugee 
d 3 On the 8th September I arrived at the bridge at Malines from my 

house (which is on the south side of the river) at about 4 a.m. and was 
engaged in feeding some cattle near by. 

BetAveen 7.30 and 8 a.m. I saw a Belgian soldier in imiform, and 
some other Belgians engaged in placing a wireless telephone installation 
on the church. I then saw some Uhlans. The Belgian soldier shot 
four of them do^Ti, and the other Uhlans turned round and fled. In 
their flight the Uhlans shot a civilian as he was coming out of the 
church. This man was known to me as an inspector of police, who 
lived at Doomstraat. Just then another civilian, an old man, was 
shot as he was coming out of his house. A moment later an old woman, 
v/ho lived in a house close by the church, looked out of her window, 
and one of the Uhlans shot her hand off. The Uhlans shot at everyone 
they sav/ indiscriminately. I did not actually see the woman shot, 
but directly the Uhlans passed I went out and assisted to carry her to 
the hospital. I also assisted to carry the Uhla,ns who had been shot. 
The inspector who had been shot was taken to his house by me and his 
•son and daughter and placed on a mattress. We undressed him, and 
I then saw that he had a bullet wound in his thigh, and that the bullet 
had also passed through his stomach. He was in very great pain and 
said " Oh, God, have mercy iipon me." I assisted to carry him to the 
hospital, but he died on the way. 

Married Woman. 
d 4 I remember the second occasion when the Germans bombarded 

Malines. One day vvhen the Germans were not actually bombarding 
the to^Yn I left my house to go to my mother's house in High Street. 
My husband was with me. I saw eight German soldiers. They came 
round a corner into the street in which I was walking with my husband 
and came towards us. They were drunk. They were singing and 
making a lot of noise and dancing about. They were in grey uniforms. 
As the German soldiers came along the street I saw a small child, 
whether boy or girl I could not see, come out of a house. The child 
was about 2 years of age. The child came into the middle of the street 
so as to be in the way of the soldiers. The soldiers were walking in 
twos. The first line of two passed the child ; one of the second line, 
the man on the left, stepped aside and drove his bayonet with both 
hands into the child's stomach, lifting the cliild into the air on his 
bayonet and carrying it away on his bayonet, he and his comrades still 
singing. I could see the man for about 200 yards, still carrying the 



child on his bayonet. Then the soldiers were hidden by a curve in the 
street. The cliild screamed when the soldier struck it with, his bayonet, 
but not afterwards. The same day we escaped from Malines and went 
to Ghent, taking train from a village called Eumpst. My husband 
and children ^vere with me. We stayed at Ghent eight days. Erom 
Ghent we went to Melle, about two hours' walk from Ghent. Then I 
saw five German soldiers enter a house. I had been told that there 
was an old lady in this house who was sick. Everyone was flying from 
Melle and I had gone into the house to speak to the woman and to see 
if I could do anything for her. While I was talking to the old lady in 
her room, the Germans came in making a lot of noise, I think they were 
half drunk. One of them went up to the old woman, who was lying on 
her bed propped up with pillows, and asked her if she was sick. The 
woman replied, '" I am sick, but I should like to see my daughter." He 
said, " Oh, you are sick," and as he spoke struck her in the chest with 
the butt end of his rifle. I ran away. I do not know whether the old 
lady was killed or not, but she was 80 years of age. 

Note. — The husband of this witness Avas examined separately from 
her and confirmed her account of the killing of the child. See next 
statement. 

Husband of previous Witness. 

Once at the time when Malines was bombarded on the second d 5 
occasion I was in Drap Street, Malines, with my wife. We were going 
to High Street. I saw six or eight German soldiers in Drap Street. 
They were dressed in grey uniforms. They were drunk. They 
were singing and dancing. They came along in twos and threes. 
I saw a child come out of a house to the middle of the street and get 
in the way of the soldiers. I do not know whether it was a boy or a 
girl. One of the soldiers drove his bayonet or lance, I don't know 
which it was, into the child's stomach and carried it off on his weapon. 
They went down Milan Street. As long as they were in my sight the 
soldier was carrying the child in the air on his weapon. The child 
gave one scream when the soldier struck it. 

We left Malines the next day, going by train from Rumpst to Ghent. 

My wife told me about the old woman who was struck by a German 
soldier at Melle. I was not with her in the house. 

Belgian Soldier. 
On 25th August last, 'at Malines, at 6 a.m., as we were resting in ^ 6 
a village * near to which the Germans had occupied and evacuated, 
we found in one of the houses a boy, about 17, crouching down as if 
asking to be spared, quite dead and covered with bayonet wounds in 
the face, hands and body. In another house the dead body of a girl, 
about the same age, in the same condition. In a ditch the body of 
an old woman of the village, who had been killed by the Germans. 

Belgian Soldier. 

I saw on the Chaussee de Louvain, i.e., the main road from Malines d 7 
to Louvain, on leaving Malines, about five minutes walk from it, near 
the bridge, a woman of 45 or 50 years of age or perhaps more, at the 
left side of the road on the sand lying dead. We were halted there 
about 5 minutes. We opened her blouse and chemise and found 
12 bayonet wounds on her between the shoulders and waist in front. 
She had been dead long enough to be cold. This was the 25th of 
August, the first day we fought at Malines. 

We were going towards Louvain, and when we got 100 yards 
further on a man came out of a house with a rifle in his hand with a 
bayonet fixed on it with blood all over it, it had also run over the 

♦Probably Hofstade. 



84 

rifle ; and showed that it was the bayonet that had killed the woman. 
We found two dead Germans in a small field close to where the body 
was found, and I think whoever killed the woman ran away from 
our troops and left liis rifle behind and the man picked it up, or pos- 
sibly he was one of the two dead Germans found nea.r. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d8 At a little village near Malines,* during the month of August, I 

saw an old agricultm-al labom-er, with a barrow, who had been killed 
about one hour before. He was going to work, and his wife told us 
that it was the German cavalry who had killed him, firing upon him 
at 50 yards. I saw the corpse, and the hole in his head through 
which the bullet passed. In the same village I saw the burnt body 
of the butcher's son who tried to escape from the Germans into a 
house, he being a non-combatant. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d9 My regiment had an engagement with the German soldiers near 

Malines, and the Belgian soldiers retreated through the town. I then 
saw the dead body of an old woman, who had probably been shot, 
I also saw a young woman, aged between 16 and 20, who had been 
killed by a bayonet. She was kneeling and her hands were clasped, 
and the ba3'onet had pierced both hands. I also saw a young man, 
a civilian, aged about 16, who had been killed by a bayonet thrust 
through his mouth. The old woman had been in a house along with 
the young woman. 

Other members of my regiment saw these dead bodies, but I cannot 
say whether any of them are at present in England. 

All the houses in the village were set on fire by the German soldiers, 
but I do not know the name of the regiment to which they belonged. 

Belgian Soldier. 
^ 101 ^ ^^^^ o^ patrol duty in the neighbourhood of Hofstade. We 

Hofstade. entered the village in the early afternoon. Very many of the houses 
were demolished. We were looking for Germans hiding in the houses. 
In the first house we entered- — the first house on our right — we found 
the dead bodies of a man and two women. The man had been bayo- 
neted in the forehead. One of the women had been bayoneted in 
the stomach. She was about 45 years of age. The other woman 
was about 20 years old. She had a bayonet wound in the head and 
her legs had been cut almost off. The whole room was covered in 
blood. The bodies of the two women were lying side by side and 
that of the man a little apart. We entered another house further on, 
on the same side of the road. In the downstair room was a hanging 
lamp and a boy of about 10 years of age was hanging to it by a piece 
of string. The string was round his neck. He had a bayonet wound 
in the stomach. There was a pool of blood under the body. The 
blood had dried, I think. I did not touch any of these four bodies. 

Belgian Refugee. 
d 11 Twelve German soldiers came to my farm and fired through the 

windows a.t 5 a.m. 

I took refuge in the cellar and they set fire to my house and the 
farm buildings. All the contents of the house were destroyed. 
They also burnt two other houses belonging to me close by. 
On coming up out of the cellar I found in my garden the dead 
body of a neighbour of mine, a widow, about 36. She was killed by 
bayonet thrusts. 

* Probably Hofstade. 



85 

The Germans burnt the whole village of Hofstade, more than 
50 houses. 

Belgian Refugee. 

At Hofstade, close to Malines, m a house into which I went to d 12 
see if there were any wounded wanting help, I saw in a room a little 
boy about 12 years of age apparently on his knees pleading for help, 
with his hands clasped, and just at his heart was a bayonet wound. 
The little fellow was quite dead and cold. The wound was quite 
visible and luidoubtedly caused by a bayonet thrust. 

At the same village 1 saw the German soldiers carrying inflammable 
liquid in glass bottles. I saw them throw these into many houses 
and directly an explosion and a fire tock place. The inhabitants were 
partly in and partly out of their houses at the time ; many, I know, 
were burnt by this means and perished in their houses. 

Belgian Soldier. 

On the 2oth of August we entered Hofstade. We had just driven d 13 
the Germans out. In a garden behind a house in the main street of 
the village I saw two bodies of women. They were women of about 
40 or 50. In another house in the same street and on the same side 
I found a boy of about 16 years old dead, propped up against the 
wall of the room. He had two bayonet wounds in the chest. I did 
not touch his body. 

Belgian Refugee. 

The German soldiers entered Hofstade on 25th August. They ^ 14 
set fire to about 30 houses near the main road. They did this imme- 
diately they arrived. There was no firing by civilians or any sort of 
provocation. 

The inhabitants had taken refuge in the cellars. 

The Germans forced them to come out and to march hands, up to 
Elewyt, a village a short distance away. There they were placed in 
a school, I amongst the number. 

After we had been in the school some hours the Germans came in 
and took out from amongst us a man whom I knew well and who 
had a house fronting the main road. 

The officer in command charged him with having fired from his 
home on the German troops and said he was to be shot. 

He solemnly protested he had done nothing of the kind. 

The officer, however, ignored these protestations, heaped abuse 
on him and ordered his men to shoot him. 

He was placed against a wall opposite the school and shot with 
rifles in my presence. 

During the march from Hofstade to Elewyt two of our party 
(civilians — men), getting tired, allowed their arms to drop and there- 
upon they were wounded with the bayonet — pricked, not seriously 
wounded. 

* Belgian Soldier. 

On the 25th of August, early in the morning, I saw the bodies of d 15 
two girls between 20 and 25 years at Hofstade near Malines, One 
had her breasts cut off and the other had been stabbed. They were 
both together in a backyard of a house in a street, the name of which 
I do not know. 

We were searching all the houses and found these bodies. 

The breasts cannot have been cut off accidentally. They were 
cut off clean. I cannot say with what. These were the only wounds 
I saw on this body. The other body had a bayonet wound between 
the breasts. The clothing of both bodies was torn to pieces. 

I was wounded shortly afterwards and had no time to report what 
I had seen. 



Belgian Soldiee. 
d 16 At Hofstade, on the 25th August I saw the body of a young man 

of 17 years of age in a cafe, killed by bayonet thrusts. He was holding 
his hands together. 

On the same day, in the same village, I saw the body of a man with 
his skull cut open. He appeared to have been killed by a blow from 
a rifle butt. 

Belgian NoN-coMivnssiONED Officer. 

d 17 On the 27th of August in a farm in the neighbourhood of Hofstade, 

I saw the body of a boy of about 15 years of age who had been killed- 

by a bayonet thrust. He was kneeling down with his hands together 

as though asking for mercy ; I examined the body to see. I was 

V alone. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 18 I was in flight, having been wounded by a blow on my face from 

a German officer, on the Hofstade road (near Malines), where there 
is a little stream., the Germans being behind me and firing. I saw 
lying on the side of the road an old peasant v/oman dead. She was 
lying there with her hands which were empty, crossed upon her breast. 
She was wearing sabots, a blue apron, and a red handkerchief on her 
head. Both her eyes had been gouged out of her head, and her face 
was covered with blood. On the other side of the road was lying the 
dead body of a woman, who looked as if she might be about 30, also 
of the peasant class ; her blouse was torn away, and I counted seven 
bayonet wounds on her breast, which was naked down to the waist. 
She was lying in a pool of blood, and one could not recognise her 
features, which were covered with blood. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 19 I saw the dead body of a woman lying in the road at Hofstade. 

Her body was partly covered with straw. Some of my comrades 
uncovered the body, and we saw that there was a bayonet in the 
woman's stomach. 

I was in the hospital at Lierre when it was bombarded by the Ger- 
man soldiers. The first bomb fell on the hospital, and six Belgian 
soldiers were killed in their beds. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 20 When we were following the Germans after Liege, near Malines, 

at the village of Hofstade, we found quite warm the dead body of a 
young proprietor of a cafe, lying on the ground, covered with bayonet 
wounds. There were too many cuts for its to attempt to count them. 
On the same road I saw — in fact we all saw as we were marching — 
several bodies on the side of the roadway covered with straw, and 
amongst them one with a woman's skirts. A workman there told me 
that the woman, with many others, had been killed by German soldiers 
with the bayonet. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 21 On the 25th August I was at Hofstade, near Malines, with my 

section. I saw in a cafe in the main road leading to Malines and 
Werchter, a civilian lad of about 17 years old with a severe bayonet 
wound in his stomach and across it, and a baj^onet wound through the 
arm. He was dead. He was unarmed. He was kneehng by the 
chimney, in an attitude as though he had tried to hide himself. 

About 400 yards from the same road, lying on a dungheap, I saw 
two girls of about 20 years of age, both killed by baj^onet wounds in 
the stomach, one having the entrails protruding. They were clothed. 



d22 



87 

Non-commissioned Officer, Belgian Army 
When we entered Hofstade in August last, or some village near to 
it, a girl of about 18 or 19 years of age complained to me and my 
comrades (four) that she had been \-iolated by several German soldiers 
for a period of about two hours before we entered the village on the 
threshold of a house in full daylight and in view of villagers. She 
had been stripped of all clothing iDut her chemise and had bled freely 
from the private parts. When I saw her she was covered only with a 
chemise and skirt and I did not see any blood. She appeared to be 
very dejected and was weeping bitterly. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I saw evidence of German atrocities between Malines and Hofstade, d 23 
in a house on the high road between these two places. I saw a woman 
with breasts and hands cut off. The body was lying just inside the 
house, which was an inn. I do not know who the woman was. It 
was between 24th and 25th August. The Germans had been through 
this place the ^A'eek before, but had been beaten back. There were 
several houses in the neighbourhood. I do not know the name of the 
place. Everything in the inn appeared to be broken. I also saw the 
body of a youth, about 20. Both legs were cut off. The body was 
quite close to that of the woman. 

Belgian Befugbe. 

At the end of August the first engagement between the German d 24 
and Belgian troops took place, and the Germans retreated. As they 
did so they burned aU the houses in Draes-straat, Hofstade. The 
church, which was in the same street, was not put on fire, but the 
Germans shot at the windows. I saw the houses burning. 

The Germans on a Tuesday morning at the end of August went 
into a hoiise in the Chaussee''de Tervueren, about 150 metres from 
the church, and put the house on fire. The inhabitants fled, and 
the mother of the family, a woman of about 65, was taken out of the 
house, and was killed by one of the German soldiers with a thrust 
from a lance. I saw the funeral of this woman, but I did not see 
the woman killed. Her son told me that his mother had been killed. 
I was not informed of the name of the regiment to which the German 
soldiers belonged. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I was at Hofstade, the Germans were retreating, we were advancing d 25 
near the headquarters of the Gendarmerie. I saw a woman about 45 
years old and a boy of about 9 who had been struck with a bayonet 
several times, both in the face and in the body, both the boy's hands 
were cut off at the mist, he was kneeling on the_ ground, one hand 
cut off was on the ground, the other hanging by a bit of skin. 

Sergeant in Belgian Army. 
I was serving with my regiment at Hofstade on the 25th August. d 28 
We were driving the Germans out of Hofstade. I went into a house on 
the left-hand side of the main road from Malines to Brussels. I 
there saw the body of a woman lying on the floor. Both breasts were 
cut off. There was also the body of a child lying close to the other 
body. Some of the limbs had been cut off. It was either both arms 
and both legs or both hands and both feet. I do not remember wliich. 
On the following day at Elewyt, a village a little further on, in a private 
house I saw a man and woman lying on the floor who had been bayoneted 
all over their bodies. The woman was dead and the man still living. 



d27 



I spoke to the man, who told me that the Germans had treated them so 
because they told a Belgian patrol that there were German soldiers 
in the garden. 

Belgian Soldier. 
My company was advancing through Hofstade. In the main 
street is a big cafe. As we were passing this cafe we heard that a boy 
had been killed there by the Germans. We went in, and in one of the 
rooms on the ground floor was the body of a boy of about 14. The 
priest attached to my regiment went in with us. The village priest 
arrived after we got there. The boy had been baj^oneted in the 
right side. His hands were clasped together and a bayonet had been 
thrust through both of them. There was a great quantity of blood 
about — the blood was still wet. We took the body out and put it on 
a stretcher. Whilst we were doing so the boy's parents came up. I 
did not speak to them. 

Belgian Soldier. 
^ 28 At the time of the first bombardment of Malines at Hofstade near 

Malines, I saw two dead men at the side of the road ; they each had 
both hands entirely cut o&. This was on the 25th Aug. I wrote 
down the date in my diary ; we -v^^ere at Hofstade. I wrote that I was 
at Malines all that day and went to Hofstade in the evening ; we were 
getting some straw to sleep on and found the two bodies behind the 
house. 

Before this, at Liege, on the 5th of August, I saw a child of 8 or 9 
with a bullet wound in the body — it was alive and being taken to the 
doctor. All my company saw this. 

I saw two women and a peasant lying dead in the road at Wandre, 
shot. 

Married Woman. 
d29 About the middle of August some German soldiers came to the 

town (Hofstade), and stayed there, and at first nothing was done by 
them. Every morning I had to supply 27 Uhlans with cofiee, and 
some of the civilians were compelled to make trenches. 

One day in August I was going to the mill to buy some flour and 
on the way saw a young man, 17 or 18 years old, whom I knew, 
lying mth his two hands cut off. Blood was rvmning from his arms 
and he was dying. I could not bear to remain with him, and I ran 
away crying. This boy worked with his father, who was a blacksmith 
at Hofstade, and whom I knew w^ell by sight. I heard that the boy 
had attempted to run away from the Germans who were entering his 
house to bmrn it. 

The Germans then ordered all the people to leave their houses at 
once, and I went to the bridge at Sempst. I then saw two men, 
father and son (aged 18), who were unarmed, and were on their way 
to work, shot dead by some German soldiers, Avho at once threw their 
bodies into a chalk pit. The men were brickla,yers. 

I then saw the Germans shoot a man, a sheep shearer, living at 
Sempst. I saw him a little later after the Germans had left. He 
then cried " Oh God ! oh God ! " 

I ran over the bridge and took shelter in a house, which was 
occupied by two families, and there were 13 children in the house. 
One of the two men was confined to his bed with rheumatism, and the 
German soldiers bound this man to his bed with his hands behind his 
back. They then took the second man and shot him in my presence, 
and in the presence of all the children. I then fled. 

I afterwards went back to my house as I wanted to feed the cattle. 
I hid for a time behind the Castle of Grisar, and then went into my 
stable. 



89 

On a Monday in August, previous to the atrocities referred to, 
there had been an engagement between the Belgian and German troops 
quite close to my house. The Belgians had killed two Ulilans and 
wounded a third. The wounded man dragged himself to my cabbage 
field, where I saw him, and he begged me not to cut his head ofi. I gave 
him some water and assisted to take him to the hospital. 

I left my house, and on the road from Sempst to Brussels I saw 
some corpses ; the majority of them were all men, all of whom 
appeared to have been shot. 

The first lot of German soldiers who came to the town of Hofstade 
were cavalrymen, and had a death's head in front of their helmets ; 
afterwards some infantrymen came, and they wore caps. 

Belgian Soldier. 
At Hofstade, about the 25th August, I saw a boy of 17 or 18 killed d 30 
by bayonet Avounds in the chest. The body was in a scullery behind 
the cafe. A woman, who said she was the aunt of the boy, told me 
the boy had supplied the Germans with everything they had in the 
cafe. The Germans had only just left that morning. There was also 
the body of a woman about 10 metres from the house. We had come 
from Antwerp and returned to Antwerp. 

Belgian Soldier. 

About the 25th August last I saw at Hofstade, near Malines, at d31 
the house of the Marechal (blacksmith), the bodies of a woman and 
a boy who had been killed by bayonet wounds. There were many 
y>^ounds on the chests of both. The Germans had a,rrived at that 
village in the morning, and we drove them out at midday. Some of 
the wounds were still bleeding. We were going into houses to search 
for Germans. All the people had fled except an old woman who had 
hidden. The boy appeared about 17 years old and the woman of 
middle age. 

Sergeant nr Belgian Army. 

I was with my regiment at Hofstade, and at Hofstade I saw the d 32 
dead body of a blacksmith. He was shot ; he had been sitting by 
the side of his stove when he was shot. 

I also saw the dead body of an old woman by the side of the railway 
bridge, who had been killed by a bayonet thrust in her back. 

Belgian Soldier. 
On or about the 26th of August I was on patrol duty after the d 33 
Germans had been repulsed in this neighbourhood between Hofstade 
and Willebroeck — on a side road. There were several houses near 
me. On the doorstep of one, which belonged to a farrier, just before 
the entrance I saw the farrier lying dead. I knew it to be the farrier 
because he was still wearing his apron. He had a bayonet wound in 
the stomach. By his side lay a young boy — I should say of five or 
six years of age — his two hands nearly severed from the arms, but 
still hanging to them. He was dead also. I do not know how long 
they had been dead, I did not touch either of them. The other two 
on patrol with me saw the bodies lying there. I do not know their 
names. I only talk French and they did not speak French. 

Captain in Belgian Army. 

At our entry into Hofstade from which we drove out the Germans, d 34 
I saw lying beside the high road at the entrance of the village the 
dead body of a woman of about 65 — of the peasant or farmer class. 

She had been killed with the bayonet and it was evident this was 
done by the German soldiers who had just left. 



90 

A little further on we found the dead body of a farrier in his house. 
He also had just been killed with the bayonet. 

These outrages were apparently committed by the 48th Regiment 
of Infantry, judging by the shoulder straps of the German dead who 
had been abandoned. 

The houses in the village .showed many traces of attempted in- 
cendiarism by means of petrol or other inflammatory liquids. We 
could see the marks of these liquids sprinkled on the outsides of the 
windows, the glass in which (in order to assist the conflagration) had 
been broken in many cases by blows from rifles. There were marks 
of bin*ning on the woodwork of the windows and in some instances 
the blinds and curtains had caught fire. 

Next day I, for the first time, saw in the village of Elewyt the 
German inscription (of which so much has since been heard) on the 
doors of several houses — 

" Good people. Spare this house please." 

Then followed the name of the regiment and the initials of some 
of&cer. 

On September 11 on our arrival at Tremeloo (near Werchter) I 
noticed close on 200 houses wilfully burned. There had been no 
fighting here a,nd the damage must have been deliberate. There was 
no trace of any contest. 

The delibera-teness of this burning is shown by the fact that the 
houses were not in blocks or rows but were mostly detached, so that 
there must have been separate action with regard to each,?^^i -- ^ 

There was no military purpose to be served by this damage and 
destruction. 

In Tremeloo I sav/ five or six inhabitants who had not fled and 
they informed me that on the night the Germans had entered the 
place the soldiers forced the men to leave their beds and took their 
places beside their wives. I was told this had happened, not in an 
isolated instance or two, but generally. The houses v/ere mostly what 
in England would be described as small peasants' farms or holdings. 

I believe the outrages I have mentioned occurred in pursuance 
of deliberate schemes of vengeance for the resistance Belgium has 
oHered to the German advance and in order to intimidate the inhabi- 
tants generally. This is my firm conviction as an officer and a gentle- 
man. I can conceive no other reason for what was done. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d35 On 25th August 1914 we expelled the Germans from Hofstade, 

a village near Malines. I went into the house of the village black- 
smith and there saw the dead body of a young man who I was told 
was the son of the blacksmith. He appeared to be 16 or 17 years 
of age. The body was lying on its side with the hands held uj) as 
though he had been struck down when in an attitude of supplication. 
His hands had been mutilated by a sword or bayonet. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 36 I was in the fight at Malines and after we had driven the Germans 

out of Hofstade on August 25th I went with an artilleryman of our 
army whose name I did not know to find his parents who lived in 
Hofstade. All the houses were burning except the one in which this 
man's parents lived. 

The door of the house was locked and he tried to open it, but could 
not and he forced it. There would be quite 50 of us who were standing 
round, because we were surprised that the house should not have been 
burned down like the rest. 

On forcing the door we saw lying on the floor of the room into 



91 

which it opened the dead bodies of a man and woman, a boy and girl 
whom the artilleryman told lis were his father and mother and brother 
and sister. Each of them had both feet cut off just above the ankle 
and both hands just above the wrist. The poor boy a,ppeared to be 
driven mad hj the sight because he rushed straight off, took one of 
the horses from his gun and rode in the direction of the German lines. 
None of us ever saw him again. 

As we advanced through Hofstade my company received an order 
to search for hidden Germans in a chateau in the village the name of 
which I do not now remember. 

In the lodge of the concierge, which we had to force, we found in 
a small room the dead body of the concierge lying on straw on the 
floor. The body had but a shirt on it and this was thrown back over 
the head, leaving the body exposed, on which we found about four 
bayonet wounds, any one of wliich would have killed him. He ap- 
peared to have been stabbed while in bed, because on going upstairs 
into a bedroom we found a bed, the clothes of which were saturated 
with fresh blood, and a track of blood was visible down the staircase 
into the room in which we found him. We saw no weapon in the 
house, and from his bechoom the unfortunate man could not have 
fired at the Germans, because he was on the wrong side of the house 
and the chateau itself lay between him and them. 

We afterwards passed through Sempst, about a mile past Hofstade, 
and just after crossing the bridge there (Pont de Sempst) we found 
the dead body of a woman between 50 and 60 years of age lying by 
the roadside face downwards. Although fully clothed we could see 
the places where bayonets had penetrated her clothing and no doubt 
caused her death. I counted four such places. Her clothing was 
covered with blood, and after satisfjdng ourselves that she was dead 
and beyond help we passed on. She had evidently been struck down 
from behind while trying to escape from the Germans. 

Belgian Soldier. 
While going through the Grande Rue of the town (Hofstade) I d 37 
saw a woman with her body cut opeii lying in the middle of the street. 
She had a wound in the breast which was certainly caused by a bayonet. 
I can tell this because I have seen a great number of such wounds. 
Some 200 yards further on I saw two cliildren, little girls of from 8 
to 10 years of age, lying on the floor of a house with their mother. 
The brother of these two children is a soldier in the artillery, and 
happened to be passing the house just as we did. I saw him go into 
the house to wish his people good-day. Suddenly he rushed out like 
a madman, and I and my comrades went in to see what had happened, 
and we there saw the three bodies lying on the ground. I could not 
bear the sight and went out quickly. They were wounded every- 
where and covered with blood, and their bodies lay in pools ol blood. 
I believe, however, that several members of my company remained 
behind to help to bury them. Do not knov/ the name of the family. 

Corporal in Belgian Army. 
On .25th August we were attacking the Germans in the park of the d 38 
Chateau of Schiplacken. We drove them out ; they were in the 
chateau. I and fom* others went to the concierge's house in search 
of water. It was shut up ; we opened the shutters and got in. We 
foimd the concierge, a man of middle age, with his stomach opened 
with a bayonet. He had no weapons near him. His private parts 
were torn off. This was about mid-day. I do not know the names 
of those with me ; they belonged to my company but were not of the 
same class.* 

* Class used in the military sense of the word. 



92 

A little later, close to a bridge over the river leading to Hofstade, 
we found a woman dead and covered with blood. Two peasants and 
a priest were there. They told us she had been killed with the bayonet ; 
she was pregnant. I did not see the wounds myself. In the afternoon 
in the village of Hofstade we went into the blacksmith's shop. I 
was with my company then. The blacksmith was dead, his hands 
were cut off and lying by the anvil. His wrists were tied together 
in front of him ; his chest had been thrust through with the bayonet. 

Later still the same afternoon we were examining all the lanes of 
the village (Hofstade). I and two or three others found in one house 
a child, a boj^' about ten, on his knees and leaning against the wall. 
His hands were still joined as if asking for mercy. A bayonet had 
been thrust through his chest. 

Belgian Soldier. 

d 39 On 25th August I was in the park of Schiplacken, the chateau 

being in the occupation of the Germans. When they retired we 
advanced. Corporal D . . . told me of what he had found in the 
house of the concierge. I looked through the window ; I only had 
a glance. I saw a man in his shirt with his stomach opened with a 
bayonet. By the bridge over the river between the park and Hofstade 
I saw a woman on a stretcher. Some people were with her. She 
was dead ; I saw her. She was pregnant, it was very obvious. The 
people about told us she had been bayoneted in the stomach. 

In the blacksmith's shop in Hofstade I saw the blacksmith dead 
with his hands cut off and his wrists still tied. He was dead. Our 
whole company saw him, I should think. In another house I saw a 
child of 10 to II years kneeling ; he was dead, a bayonet had been 
stuck through his chest. 

Belgian Soldier. 

d40 At Hofstade, in September,* near Malines, I saw in a viUa a 

concierge who had been absolutely stripped and then killed with 
bayonets ; he was a man of 40. I saw the dead body with the 
wounds, lying on the sti'aw. This Avas immediately after we had 
driven the Germans back. I was there with my company ; we were 
returning to Antwerp, we all saw it. The window and the door of 
the house was open and I saAv through it as we passed ; the room was 
on the ground floor. 

Belgian Soldier. 

d 41 When my regiment was following up the Germans in their retreat 

from Louvain to Malines I saw in different places on the roadside 
the bodies of two women naked from the waist upAvards with one 
breast hacked off, and the bodies of dead children (about six in number), 
some Avith one foot, some AA'ith both hacked off. 

As we passed a village close to Malines I saAv a group of dead 
bodies of men (civilians), and amongst them fiA^e priests — three 
wearing the Red Cross— all of whom had been shot. 

Sergeant-major in Belgian Army. 
d42 About 25th August, during the battle of Hofstade, I saw a boy 

of about seven nailed against a door Avith a German baj'onet through 
the chest. All my company saw this. 

At the same time in the burning houses we found people burning- 
I cannot say if they were killed before burning. They Avere dead 
when we arrived. About 10th September, I Avas doing patrol duty 
in the village of Wespelaer. We Avere four together. We entered a 
house in the street in order to fire on some Germans in a house on 
the other side of the street about 100 yards off. One of them thrust 
* This should be August 25th. 



93 

a child of about 10 months, naked, stuck on the point of his bayonet 
through the window of the first story. 

12th September, I was wounded at a battle in Wespelaer We 
had to retreat. I lay there for 23 hours. I fell into a ditch with 
water with a lot of corpses and so escaped. The Germans turned on 
the wounded and killed them either with the revolver or bayonet as 
they came back from the pursuit. I myself got a blow with the butt 
apparently to see if I was really dead. This was going on all round 

Belgian Soldier. 
On the 25th of August at the battle of Hofstade, I saw bodies d43 
ot a woman two young girls, and one child. Both the child's hands 
were cut off ; the hands were lying there. I do not know how it 
Happened. Ihe house was not destroyed by shell fire. 

Belgian Soldier. 
^ ^u ^^! ^^^^ August I saw a woman of 35 and her child lying d u 
together dead m the street (at Hofstade). I was told that they had 
been pierced by bayonet wounds. I did not see them killed. I saw 
this after the Germans had retreated. 

_ AH the houses in the street were burning. I was told bv some 
civilians that the Germans first sprinkled the houses with something 
like naphtha and afterwards fired them. The German troops fired 
at the church at Mahnes, and afterwards turned it into a stable for 
their horses. 

Railway Servant. 



.f ^°S I ??^ ""^ ^""^T^ ^^'* "^ Hofstade I saw the dead body 
of a child about five years of age (I was not near enough to see whether 

I'j.Tl.^'pf ^ ^T"l ^^ *^" ^""^ ^^°^^ ^ ^'^^ ne^^ a private house 
m th? Chaussee de Tervueren, Hofstade 

This was between 2 and 3 p.m., and the Germans had been driven 
out about 11 a.m. the same day. ^niveu 

Belgian Soldier. 
At Hofstade, near Mahnes, I saw a young man (17 or 18) with an 
old woman who had been sitting at table. The man had had both 
hands cut off at the wrist, and had been bayoneted several times 
he was quite dead^ The old woman had had her head smasheT n 

Zt tI ^'T ^/,^*^ '^^ ^^ ^ "^^- ^^^ locked about 60 years 
of age. They had fallen back from the table. I saw the young man^ 
hands on the ground. -^ ^ 

befoJe'letlr' '''"" '''" '^™'" ''"^- ^""'^ ^'"' *^^ '''''^^' 
1 ^l^ t^e road near Hofstade I saw a young girl about 16 years old 
who had been carrying linen; she had severfl lance thrus s in her 
breast, and was only just alive ; she could not speak. 

Belgian Soldier. 
fnv m' r^^ 24th August we were billeted at Borsbeck ; we left there 
for Mahnes, where we arrived on 25th at noon. In the mornrng 
G^rnians bombarded Malines for first time, inhabitants still nTo4n^ 
Same day we left Mahnes in direction of Hofstade, before reaching 
WrweTe goTnrto^' ^°°" after crossing canal ; it was^vet ^^thTr" 
we were going to move early the next morning about 3am- as 

f clmet aTLk 'f/° '^^"^^^ "^"* '^ ^^^^ '^^ something to 'eat 
warburidng mwT. "^^ f , '-^ ^°"f ^ ' ^ ^^^^^^ ^ '^^"^^ ^^en^ candle 
was Durn ng on the mantelpiece ; I went into room on left saw straw 

sarfh';!''"'''^"^ ^^'"^ ""^^^ ^ '^'^'' I P-U-^ shek off and 
saw the corpse of a woman lying on back in nightshirt. On he^ was 



d45 



d46 



d47 



94 

a bruise, no marks on her neck, but there were a large number of 
wounds on the chest and the abdomen, apparently inflicted by 
bayonets. She had apjjarently been a J'oung woman of about 25, 
she had no other clothes on, her nightdress was torn but not cut by 
bayonets ; on the side of her chest there were marks like scratches. 
I thought that she had been outraged before she was killed. 

'Beside her was an old man of about 70, he was discoloured in the 
face, and bruises round his neck. He was cold and stiff ; he was 
well covered with clothes, I saw no blood on him or his clothes. I 
thought he had been strangled. 

After seeing this I went back to my bivouac ; after seeing this 
-sight I was no more inclined to look for food, and did not look into 
the other houses round. 

At 4 in the morning of the 26th, we took part in battle of Hofstade. 
Germans drove us back, my regiment lost very heavily, Germans again 
re-occupied the part of the country between Hofstade and Malines. 

On night of 10th September, billeted in a field near Werchter ; 
all this country had been occupied by Germans ; we passed through 
Tremeloo, which village was all burnt ; we pushed Germa,ns back ; 
informed at Werchter that Germans left there at II in morning. 

On September 11th, 2 in afternoon, our battahon completely 
isolated. When it became dark we drove the Germans out of their 
trenches over railway and canal ; being isolated, I v/as sent by the 
Major to find the Colonel. I found my Colonel and other officers and 
got my instructions, and in going back to the battalion, I came across 
a little house ; I knew I had lost my way, as I had not passed the 
house before. I went into the house, some peasants were weeping 
at the door. I asked why ; they told me the Germans, in retreating 
the day before, had killed a widower and his two little children. This 
man had given all he possessed to the Germans, but they were not 
satisfied, being numerous, whereupon they killed him and his two 
little children with bayonets. 

I saw the man had received a blow in his eye, the eye was lying 
on the cheek, and I saw about three other wounds in the chest. I 
asked to see the children, but the peasants said their bodies were so 
terribly mutilated tha,t they had buried them in the garden behind 
the house at once. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 48 Between the 20th and the 25th August I sa.w in a house at Hofstade, 

three cliildren with their hands cut cS. (This was about 7 o'clock in 
the morning.) In the same house I saw a woman and a man, whom 
I supposed to be the parents of the children, hanged upon a beam 
in the old house in which they lived. At the time I was with soldiers 
of the 3rd Regiment. The German soldiers had arrived in the village 
between five and half-past in the morning, and they were driven 
out about 7 a.m. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 49 I was at Hofstade on August 25th ; after the Germans had re- 

treated, I and my companions were ordered to search the houses for 
Germans. In one house I went into I heard cries coming from an 
outhouse (cabinet).^ I went to see what it was. I found a woman 
of about 30 and two children who were doA^ai the cabinet. The children 
were in the woman's arms, one was dead, apparently asphyxiated. 
Boards had been laid over the hole and bricks placeel on the top, a 
large number of stones and bricks. She could not have got out 
because of the weight on top, she was buried nearly up to her shoulders. 
She said the Germans had put her there. The woman's husband 
was a soldier, she and the children were alone in the house. 



* Privy. 



I 



95 

Belgian Soldier. 
On the 17th of August I was on cyclist patrol near Tirlemont. d 50 
About seven kilometres from Tirlemont I saw in a wood the corpse 
of a young girl of from 18 to 20 years of age hung between two trees 
by the feet, head downwards. Her clothes were torn. In the same 
wood I came up with a patrol of Uhlans who fired on me without 
hitting me. On the 25th August at Hofstade near Malines, I saw 
the body of a vendor of cycles burnt in his sho^j. They told me that 
the Germans shut the man up in the house and then set fire to it. 

Captain in Belgian Army. 
On the 27th of August, entering the village of Hofstade, three d 51 
miles south of Malines, which had been left the previous day by the 
Germans, I saw in a house on the west side of the road, in the back 
room, an old man of about 60 years old, doubled up under a table, 
kiUed by two baj^onet wounds in the chest. 

Belgian Soldier. 

At the end of August, at Hofstade, near Malines, I saw the dead ^ 52 
body of a young man, aged about 20, lying by the side of a house. 
His hands were closed as if he had begged for mercy, and I saw that 
his entrails were protruding from his body. He had been hacked 
with a bayonet. 

I also saw the dead body of an old woman in a ditch, but I do not 
know how she met her death. 

At Tremeloo I saw a white flag flying from a house. In this 
house there were some German soldiers, and when the Belgian troops 
were within range the Germans fired at them from this house, but 
none of my comrades were killed. 

Belgian Refugee. 

Whilst at Waelhem I met a man and his daughter who had given dj,5&^ 
evidence against a German officer upon a charge of violating his 
daughter, and of murdering her brother and her mother, at the village 
of Hofstade. 

The trial took place at Waelhem, and I was afterwards present at 
the cemetery when the officer in question was shot by six German 
soldiers, and I saw the shooting. I do not know the name of the 
officer. This happened about five weeks ago.* 

Belgian Soldier. 
I was marching with my company through Hofstade on August d 54 
26th, or about that date. We were resting at the side of the road in 
the afternoon. There was a dancing saloon at the side of the road 
with a covered entrance leading to it. I heard from some of the 
company that there were dead inside. I entered and saw a woman 
of about 45 and a young man of 19 lying dead, killed by the bayonet. 
They were clothed and covered with a blanket. I lifted the blanket 
and saw that the woman had been stabbed through the heart. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I and a number of others went into a dancing-room in the main ^ 55 
street. There was no living person in it, we knew before we went in. 
We went to get water and to see the bodies of a woman and a young: 
man which I had heard were there. In the dancing- room lying close 
together in a corner were two bodies. One was the body of a woman 
of 40 to 50 years old. She had been bayoneted or thrust in the side. 
I do not remember which side it was. She was fully dressed. Her 
* That is the end of August. 



96 

bodice was undone and torn at the side. Her breasts were ♦cut off. 
I saw that, but I did not examine the body very closely. I should 
say the Germans had used a knife. The body of the young man 
was lying beside her. He was about 17 years old. He had a bayonet 
thrust in the throat. Both his hands had been cut off at the wrist 
and were lying on the floor beside the body. He was dressed in 
ordinary working clothes. The woman's face was covered in blood, 
but I did not notice blood elsewhere. I only went just in and out. 
I heard that the Germans had killed the boy because he was carrying 
water for them and could not do it fast enough. The village was 
deserted. A large number of us — most of the men in the regiment — 
saw the bodies. The village was a suburb of Malines. 

Belgian Refugee. 

d 56 About the 25th of August last I saw in the town of Hofstade the 

dead body of J . . ., aged 18, who was a great friend of mine and 
was employed in a sand quarry in Hofstade. He had not joined the 
army. The body was lying in the dancing room, of a cafe, and the 
right arm had been severed at the elbow and the severed part was 
lying by the body. The left hand had been cut off at the wrist and 
was also lying by the body. I saw blood on the clothing at the breast 
which I believe had flowed from a bayonet wound and the face was 
covered with blood. I was afterwards told he had been caught by 
the Germans while trying to escape from his home and killed in the 
way above described. He had never to my knowledge possessed any 
weapon and all the people of the village had taken such weapons 
as they had to the Hotel de Ville 10 days before. M}^ brother F . . . 
saw the body at the same time as myself. 

Note. — This statement was corroborated by the younger brother 
of the witness. 

Belgian Refugee. 

d 57 On August 28th, I think it was (the same day on which King Albert 

visited Hofstade), I was on the scene of the fighting at Hofstade after 
it was over. In the dance hall there I saw the body of a woman 
betv/een 40 and 50 years of age lying dead in the middle of the room, 
and alongside her the dead body of a boy a.bout 17 years of age, who, 
I was told, was her son. 

A friend of mine told me her body had been ripped open, but 
I made no attempt to verify the statement, as it was too awful for 
me, but I sav/ that the boy's hands had been cut off at the wrist, 
as the stumps were covered with congealed blood, and his lips and 
nose also had been cut off, and they were covered with congealed 
blood also. The boy was wearing civilian clothes. This was the 
next day after the fighting. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 58 Near Hofstade I had occasion to enter a house, as there was a 

fight going on near by. Inside the house I found a woman and a 
child, both dead. They had been killed by bayonet Vvounds in the 
breast. I judged them to be bayonet wounds by the size of the 
wounds ; the wounds were long and of the shape of a bayonet. The 
woman was a peasant and seemed to be about 30 years old, and the 
child, who was a girl, seemed to be about 5 or 6 years old. I do not 
know the name of these people and I had no time to make inquiries, 
as the fight was still going on. On this day our troops made a sortie 
from Antwerp and took Hofstade ; we were then driven out from 
it and it was occupied by the Germans, and it was after that it was 
occupied by the Germans that I went into the house and saw these 
bodies. They had been driven out of it again when I got there. 



97 

I believe they again took this place in the evening. The whole house 
had been wrecked by the Germans. 

Lieutenant, Belgian Army. 
At the time of the first sortie from Antwerp I was with my machine d 59 
gun section on the road from Coloma to Hofstade when a Belgian 
woman about 50 years of age ran towards us from Hofstade, which 
was burning. Some Germans were coming from Hofstade through 
the woods in my direction. The woman was alone in the road when 
one of the Germans jumped on the road and bayoneted the woman 
in the back and at once fled towards Hofstade, the Belgians advanced 
and found the woman was dead. When the Belgians entered the village 
my section searched village and informed me that a man was found 
killed and hidden in a w.c. and that two children were found burnt 
to death in a house. The village had aboiit 40 houses and about 
half were burning at that time. 

Belgian Soldier. 

On 4th September I was in a battle at Hofstade, 'near Malines. d 60 

The Germans entered Hofstade on 2nd September and my regiment 
arrived about the same time. 

I saw the Germans kill with their bayonets six little children (all 
girls) and a woman who was with them. One of the six had her 
fingers cut off. I was about 50 yards away. 

At the same place I saw the Germans shoot with their rifles two 
women who were rumiing away. 

In a house in the same street as this I saw the body of a young 
man (civilian) who had been killed by a bayonet being driven into 
both his eyes, and in the same house was the body of a lad of 18 
(civilian) killed by a bayonet thrust in the body. 

Belgian Soldier. 
Between the 10th and the 20th of September my company was d 61 
marching past a farm near Hofstade. We were marching from Hof- 
stade to our camp at Waelken.* The farm was actually in Hofstade. 
It was about 9 a.m. We saw two gendarmes bring out a German 
cavalry officer from the farm. Many of us stopped to see what was 
going on. We were about 100 metres off. The gendarmes were 
taking the German towards Waeiken * on a by-road to our right. 
We were on the main road. Another gendarme came up. We spoke 
to him. He pointed to the other two gendarmes and the German 
and told us that the German had shot the woman and killed her two 
young daughters. He pointed to a group of people about 50 or 60 
metres from the farm. TMs group was carrying something. The 
gendarme told me that they were carrying the bodies of the woman 
and her children. Altogether we stayed there for about 5 minutes, 
and then ran on to catch up the company. We went back to the 
camp. I was billeted in a convent. Between 5 and 6 o'clock an 
officer came into the convent and ordered 10 men of the guard to 
shoot a German officer in the churchyard adjoining the convent. I 
saw the officer shot. I was on the convent wall. I could not say 
to what regiment he belonged, but he was about 40 years of age. 
I was told that he was the officer whom the gendarmes had arrested 
in the morning. I believe a court-martial had been held over the 
officer before he was shot. About a fortnight later we were near 
Rumpst. My lieutenant ordered us to cross the river Nethe and go 
and search a farm which lay about 100 metres on the other side. 
About five of us went. We found nothing in the farmhouse, but in 

* Waelhem (?). 



98 

the farmyard was the dead body of a man of about 60 years of age. 
The body had a big wound in the centre of the forehead. It looked 
hke a bayonet wound. There was blood on the face. I noticed none 
on the ground round the body. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d62 Towards the end of August we were coming from Waeihem to 

Maiines. We passed the night at Malines. We slept in a house there. 
About 3 a.m. we started out aga,in in the direction of Hofstade. On 
the road between there and Malines we — the patrol of which I was 
part — went into a house on the road, and there on the ground lay ' 
the body of an old woman with a bayonet wound in the pit of the 
stomach. Not far from there we saw, in another house, a little boy 
lying on the ground still alive ; his hands were cut off ; he did not 
speak and scarcely moaned, but was still breathing. 

Belgian Soldier. 
do I was at Hofstade, 3 or 4 kilometres from Malines, with 9 or 10 

other soldiers. 'We halted for a short rest. We went into a house. 
It had not been burnt, but others near were still on fire. The Germans 
were retreating and we were following them. Inside the house on the 
floor we saw a boy of 15 or 16 years old lying dead. The Germans 
had left the place about three-quarters of an hour or an hour. He 
had a wound in his breast caused by the thrust of a sword or bayonet 
or knife ; I think a bayonet. It was 10 or 12 centimetres [i.e., about 
4 to 5 inches] long. He was cold, but the blood had not quite ceased 
to flow, and was not dr3^ Half an hour afterwards we met six or 
seven men near the main line of the railway, about 500 yards f mother 
on,, who told me the Germans had killed him. They did not say why. 
He had another wound in the left wrist. One of my comrades turned 
the body over and I then saw it. I think it was probably done by 
his putting his hand up to ward oS the thrust in the breast. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 64 At Hofstade on the 24th August in the afternoon I saw the body of 

a young man of about 14 jeaxs of age pierced by bayonet thrusts. 

He had also his Mrrists cut with bayonets. An old peasant who was 

passing through told us that he had been killed, as he was escaping, 

by the Germans. 

Belgian Soldier. 
a 65 I passed by the village the same day. I saw the body of a young 

man on the threshold of a house whom I believe to be the same of whom 

last witness speaks. He had his hands pierced by a bayonet thrust. 

It was the first battle which we fought. 

Belgian Refugee. 
d 66 On August 25th the Germans came to Sempst. They came from 

Sempst, the direction of Brussels. They were about an army corps. The 
Belgian troops were between Malines and Sempst. I heard that 
afterwards. I remained in my house the whole time the Germans 
were in Sempst. I was not molested, and the Germans did not come 
to my house. They came in between 4 and 5 a.m. During the 
morning neighbours told me what was going on — that the Germans had 
been burning some of the houses and had killed some people. About 
4 p.m. I went out. The Germans had all gone. I v/ent straight 
down the main street. The first thing I saw was a house burnt down 
on the side of the road opposite my house. Altogether I counted 
14 burnt houses. In the shed of one of these. houses (No. 2) I saw the 
charred body of a man. He was a servant in a bicycle shop (No. 3). 



99 

His trunk alone remained, and it was lying just inside the door of the 
shed. The shed was at the side of the house (No. 2). In a house 
(No. 4) another man was burnt. I did not see his body, but I saw his 
house burning and was told afterwards that his body had been found 
in it. In the stable of house No. 11 was the dead body of a man 
whom I knew. He had a wound in the side of the neck. He had 
not been burnt although his house had. His son, aged about 15, 
had been killed. His body was lying covered with a sack in the 
yard beliind houvse No. 12. I lifted up the sack and saw the body. I 
returned home because there was fighting going on just outside the 
village. At about 5 or 6 o'clock I went to the hospital. There were 
four civilians in the hospital (names given). They were all Sempst 
people, and I was told they had all been shot by the Germans. I 
just went round and spoke to each of them. One died eight days 
later. Five of the villagers I was told were marched off by the 
Germans with their hands bound behind their backs and were shot 
near Vilvorde. About 35 men were marched down the street in this 
way in the morning. 

BELGiAiSr Refugee. 

Weerde lies to the south-east of Sempst, about a mile distant. The d 67 
Germans entered Weerde on August 20th and remained in occupation 
of it till August 25th. They entered Sempst on the evening of 
August 23rd or the morning of August 24th. On the morning of 
August 24th, when on my wa.y to my work at Malines, I saw a German 
patrol, about a dozen mounted German soldiers, on the border of the 
. village of Sempst. I do not pass through Sempst in order to get to 
Malines from my house. During the first few days of their occupation 
of Weerde the Germans committed no brutalities as far as I know. I 
did not hear of any having been committed in those days. In their 
first days at Eppeghem they dragged a piano from a house on to the 
Place Communale and they played upon it and made the .children 
shout " Deutschland iiber Alles ! " 

On the evening of Monday, August 24th, I was returning from 
my work at Malines. I had left Malines about 7.30 p.m. I had 
reached very nearly the border of Malines Commune and of that of 
Sempst — I was still a little nearer to Malines — when I saw on the road, 
near a tmrning, at a spot where there is a large chateau and there is also 
a wood about 120 Belgian soldiers in front of me on the road.. They 
were Carabineers on bicycles. They were in front. Just as I came 
up a patrol of the Chasseurs advanced. They came from behind me 
as I was walking from Malines. Two Carabineers with bicycles were 
doing duty as sentinels on either side of the road. The others took up 
position in a ditch at the side of the road — an ordinary ditch which 
runs along the road. 

The sentinels told me in rather a low voice — a conversational voice 
— that I could not pass and that I must return to MaHnes. While I 
was standing talking to them the patrol of Chasseurs passed me at a 
soft gallop along the fields by the side of the road, and after they had 
advanced some distance they fired some shots in the direction of the 
Germans, and shots were fked from the German side 'too. I could 
not see the Germans. 

I returned towards Malines and I spent the night in a cafe which 
is situated amongst the first houses that I came to. The night was 
exciting. Belgian soldiers began to pass in great numbers, infantry, 
cavahy, and artillery. They began passing early in the night, about 
eight or nine o'clock. They often halted on the road and then moved 
on. Some soldiers came into the cafe where I was. 

At 3.30 a.m. on the morning of August 25th I left the cafe. All 
along the road and in the fields and thickets along the road were 
portions of the Belgian forces. I got to about the same spot which 



100 

I had reached the evening before. This time there were two cavahry 
men doing sentinel duty on the road. They told me that one could 
not yet pass because the battle was going to begin. The river Senna 
flows by, about a kilometre off the place where I was stopped. The 
Senne traverses the commune of Sempst. Only about 15 houses 
belonging to the village of Sempst are situated on the right bank of 
the river as the river flows. Thereupon I turned back and, after 
about 10 minutes' walk on the road back, I took a path to the left which 
leads down to the Senne, and then I took the path to the left which 
runs along the Senne in the direction of Sempst. I walked along the 
path for about five minutes when I saw a man and a boy on my right- 
hand side sitting on the bank of the Senne. They were inhabitants 
of Sempst. I Imew them by sight but I don't know their names. 
The man asked me if I was going to Sempst, I said " Yes." He 
said, " You can't go in because the Germans are gathering the in- 
habitants together and taking them with them." He told me that 
he and the boy had also stayed the night at Malines and they had 
returned as far as the Sempst Bridge, where the high road from 
Malines crosses the Senne. The pathway by the river leads up to the 
bridge. The main part of the village of Sempst begins at the far side 
of the bridge as one comes from Malines. The bank of the Senne is 
raised about a height of 80 centimetres above the fields, &c. at the 
side. A path runs right along the top of the ba,nk and there is a path 
below running alongside of the fields, &c. We all three crept along 
this latter path on our hands and knees in the direction of Sempst 
Bridge. While we were creeping along like this we could hear gun 
shots from both armies and the sound of Belgian " mitrailleuses." We 
crept up to about 150 metres short of the bridge. We halted there for 
about two hom^s. 

The Belgian forces were on our left-hand side. There was some 
wood and some shrub between us and them. The Germans were on 
our right-hand side, on the other side of the Senne in the village itself 
of Sempst. I had known from the sound of the firing that the Germans 
had been on the Malines side of the bridge on the high road earlier in 
the morning. But I did not see them there. About 300 yards before 
the bridge, on the Malines side of it, there is a road on your left as you 
come from Malines, going to Hofstade. 

The first that I saw of the Germans that day was a little time after 
we had crept vip to the spot of which I had spoken. I should say it 
was about six o'clock or between six and seven. We were hiding all this 
time on our knees, but we raised our heads continually to have a 
look. We looked across the river into the village of Sempst, about 
300 or 400 metres. Beyond the bridge there are some houses belonging 
to the village and there is a space on the road where there are no houses. 
We could distinctly see German infantry — I should say from their num- 
bers about a company — retiring along the road going from the bridge, 
that is, along the village street. I saw an officer in the midst of them. 
I could see his movements. I could see him giving orders with his 
hands and arms. I knew also by the thing in the front of his helmet 
— a spiked helinet — that it was an officer. We could see him pointing 
to the houses on either side, obviously ordering soldiers to enter them. 
We could see quite clearly the two end houses of the village. I mean 
those situated where the houses commence again after the short 
interval in houses of which I have spoken. We could distinctly see the 
door of that one of these two end houses which was on the left-hand side 
of the street. After the officer had thus ordered and pointed with his 
hands, we saw two soldiers go into that house by the door and come 
out again with a middle-aged man, I should say about 40, who went 
with them. I did not know the man. About the sam.e moment three 
soldiers entered the end house on the right-hand side. One could not 



IGl 

■actually see the door of that house, but one could see that the soldiers 
went into the house. An instant or two afterwards they came out 
again, one of them pulling out a man by the sleeve. The two other 
soldiers came out after them. I could see that the man was speaking ; 
he made gestiu-es and quite obviously was expostulatins; ; he was m 
his shirt sleeves, without a jacket. "The officer turned' to the man 
He seemed to say something to the man. Quite obviously the man 
was refusing to go or expostulating about going. He said something 
to the officer. The officer pointed his revolver at him and shot him 
He fell on the spot. The soldier had let go his arm before the officer 
fired at him. There were other burghers of Sempst on the road and 
about the spot at the time— I should say about 20 men. Nobody came 
up to the old man for some moments after he fell. After some 
moments, when the Germans had gone a bit further up the street 
some women and young persons came up to the old man. 

Just about the same moment when the soldiers were coming out 
of the house with the man a young man of about 18 years, the farmer's 
son— I knew him by sight— escaped from the back of the house 
through the garden. We could distinctly see the door at the back 
by which he came out. He was running in our direction, towards 
the Senne. He was open to view from the village street, because he 
was running across that part of the garden which is not shut out by 
any house from the street. There is a hedge at the end of the garden 
about a metre high and constructed with sticks and wire. The 
youth was just about to cross the hedge when two of the soldiers 
who had entered the house fired on him with their guns and he fell 
back in the garden. 

I knew the father and son by sight. I used to pass their 
house every Sunday going to MaHnes for pleasure. The father was ' 
a httle stooped, which made him look older than he was. 

When I arrived at the spot of which I have spoken, I saw houses 
burning m the viUage. Of the first lot of houses— before the interval 
—I only saw one just near the bridge, which was burning But 
further on there were several. I did not see the Germans actually 
setting fire to these houses, but I was told by several inhabitants that 
they had seen them put stuff to the houses and deliberately set fire 
to them. 

After the Germans had gone some distance and had disappeared 
from my sight round the turning in the village street, the two others 
and I came into the viUage and we stopped at the house where the 
soldiers had entered ; the body of the young man, the son, had already 
been carried to the side of the house on the road. We saw it quite 
close. The old man's body had already been carried into the house * 
We went into the house and saw it. We saw the old man's wife and 
daughter. They were crying. We were told that the old man had 
refused to go with the Germans and had been killed for that reason 

I went on through a part of the village till I came to the turning 
to Weerde, and I went back to my home along it. I had only to pass 
about 40 houses more to reach the turning. The greater part of the 
village lies further up. The Germans must have been still there 
because from my house at Weerde I could see the German soldiers 
filing out of the village. 

I saw affixed to the walls at Sempst 10 or 12 days before the 
Germans came into the neighbourhood an order by the burgomaster 
of Sempst that all the inhabitants were to give up their arms An 
officer of pohce came round to the houses and demanded the delivery 
up of all arms. At Weerde the pohce came to my house for this 
purpose. They did the same at Sempst. 

* The last witness saw the bodies in the stable of house No. 11 and the vard of 
house No. 12. ■' ^ "^ 



102 

Belgian Refugee. 

d 68 On Monday evening, August 24th — I could not at present re- 

member the date, but I know it was about then — a Belgian patrol, 
of Belgian lancers and chasseurs, came to the Sempst Bridge, in the 
evening. I cannot say the hour, but it was still daylight. I saw it 
come. There are two bridges at Sempst. There are some houses 
before the first bridge as one comes from Malines, then after that 
there are seven houses ; then comes a second bridge, and then there 
are some houses again ; then there is a space of about 200 metres 
where there are no houses, and then the village houses begin. I live 
in the houses on the road from Malines before the first bridge. I was 
in my house when the Belgian patrol came. A German patrol came 
up about the same time on to the second bridge. I saw it. It con- 
sisted of about 20 mounted soldiers — Uhlans — I saw their helmets. 
They fired at each other. I think they did not hit each other. The 
Belgian patrol turned and went back in the direction of Malines. 
The German patrol turned and v/ent through the village in the direc- 
tion of Brussels. I think the German patrol had been there a day 
and a half, but I cannot say for certain. 

About 9.30 the same evening a detachment of Belgian forces in 
great number came. I could see them along the road as far as I 
could see. Carabineers were in front. They only came as far as 
the first bridge. I was at home and went to bed, and the night passed 
off quietly enough. No Belgian soldiers came into my house. 

At half-past four the next morning, the Tuesday morning, firing 
began. I awoke and got up. My wife and children and I went 
into the sitting-room. Bullets came in through the windows, and 
we went upstairs and stood in the passage. The bullets also came 
in there ; so we all went down into the cellar. While we were there 
we heard German soldiers in the back-yard. We knew they were 
German from the foreign language. From the cellar we could only 
see their legs. They fired into the cellar. We made our way up 
from the ceUar to the stairs between the cellar and the kitchen, and 
stood there. About seven or ten minutes later the soldiers smashed in 
the front door. I could not see how many came in, but they banged 
their guns on the floors and fired them straight through the ceilings, 
and they smashed the stairs from the kitchen to the first floor. Then 
they saw us and called " Come out ! Arms up ! Hold up your 
arms ! " We came out, and the soldiers cried " On ! Forward ! " 
They drove us out of the house in front of them, with the biitts of 
their guns. When we were all outside the house the soldiers held 
their guns in front of us all. My eldest daughter, 15 years of age, 
fell down from fright. I raised her up. They brought us then 100 
metres towards the Sempst Bridge. About 80 women and children 
were standing on the road before the first bridge. There were no 
men there. 

There they left my wife and other children standing there and 
took me and mj?' two sons — one 18 years and one 16 years — across 
the first bridge. Between the two bridges houses were burning, 
on the right-hand side. There between two burning houses there 
stood four men. We were put standing with them. It was very hot. 
We stood there half an hour, and because it was so hot we were put 
standing on the other side. The whole time we were holding up our- 
arms. Then they brought a lot of other men of the village, nearly 
all old or elderly men. They kept bringing up others. The first 
young man whom I 'saw them bring was a man about 20 years of 
age. He was holding a young brother of 10 or 11 years in his arms, 
who had been run over by a motor three months before the war and 
could not walk. The soldiers told the man to hold up his arms. 



103 

He said he could not, as he must hold his brother, who could not 
"walk. Then a German soldier hit him on the head with a revolver 
and he let the brother fall. Soldiers lifted the latter up and put 
liim wth the women and children. The elder brother came and 
stood with us. I saw the blood coming from the elder brother's 
head — ^from the blow. They tied his hands behind his back. Then 
came five other burghers to us, all with hands tied behind their backs. 
Oerman soldiers held the barrels of their guns right under the noses 
of these five the whole time they stood with us. On the second 
bridge lay the body of a Belgian soldier. Each time the German 
soldiers passed they stuck their bayonets into the body. We stood 
there till 10.30 that morning. There Avere German cannons placed 
on the Malines side of the first bridge. On the Sempst side of the 
second bridge there Avere also cannons. I cannot say in what direc- 
tion they were placed — whether in that of Malines or of Eppeghem. 
I cannot say that burghers were actually standing before the cannons. 
I can only say that there were cannons both on the Malines and 
Eppeghem sides of the bridge. X . . . stood between the two bridges 
amongst the other men. I lived on the same side of the same street 
as X . . ., about 15 metres away. I saw X . . . standing amongst 
the other men with his arms up. I am quite sure of that. The 
soldiers told us they were going to shoot us ail. 

While we were standing there I saw German soldiers go into a 
liouse on the right-hand side between the two bridges. Thej^ were 
looking for Belgian soldiers. It was a house belonging to some people 
I knew ; the father, a man between 40 and 50 years of age, I should 
say, came out of the back of his house. The soldiers followed him 
immediately and seized hold of him and took him round by the house 
towards the street and shot him. The son raa out of the back of 
the house across the yard. There is a hedge at the end of the yard. 
There is an open space beyond it. The son had got across the hedge 
when he was shot by German soldiers. I saw German soldiers set 
fire to the house afterwards. That was the only house I saw them 
actually setting fire to, but I saw others burning. 

About half-past ten that morning the Germans cleared off because 
the Belgians were coming. They took the five burghers whose hands 
were tied with them. Thej^ let the others go free. 

I\Iy wife and children and I then went home. We saw a woman, 
the wife of a neighbour of mine, standing outside her house, which 
is the first of the houses before the fh-st bridge on the left-hand side 
as one comes from Malines. She asked us if we knew where her 
husband and son were. We said we did not Imow. My eldest son 
had noticed bloodstains between the yards of two houses where the 
-pit was. I went there. ^¥e got a spade. I opened the pit myself, 
and I saw in it the bodies of two German soldiers on one side a.nd. 
on the other side the body of the father. I did not look more. I 
■ did not see the body of the son. I went back and told the \nfe that 
the Red Cross had taken her husband with them. I wanted not to 
give her a fright. The dead man's house was not burned. 

I saw the house of the butcher further up, beyond the two bridges 
which was burned down, the walls were standing. The house was 
still smoking when I saw it. I did not see any burned body. I 
Tieard that the young man of the house had been burned. Both father 
and son were butchers. The father and family had left a week before. 
The son was alone in the house. I heard that this man had had his 
"head, arms, and legs cut off by Germans. I heard that from burghers 
in Sempst. I know nothing of it myself. It was between 11 and 
12 that morning when I saw that house. 



101 



Belgian Soldier. 
d 69 On the night of August 24:th to 25th we made a sortie Lack in the 

direction of Malinfes, and in the forenoon of the 25th we reached 
Sempst. The Germans were advancing in the direction of Antwerp. 
They had occupied Sempst during four or five days before that date, 
and they withdrew from it, the early morning of August 25th, only 
a few hours before we reached it. We learned this from the inhabitants- 
of Sempst on our reaching it. I saw one German wounded soldier 
still at the hospital at Sempst. 

As v/e entered the village we saw a mass of inhabitants in great 
distress. Many were crying. At the part of the village where we 
entered there were at least about 30 houses burning, and further on 
there vfere still more. The inhabitants told us that the Germans had 
set fire to the houses that morning before their withckawal. There 
had not been any bombardment. There would have been no army 
to bombard but ours and we did not bombard. They told us that the 
Germans had taken about 40 of the male inhabitants of the village 
with them. 

We halted for half an hour within the part of the village where 
we had entered to rest ourselves, and during that time us soldiers 
could go and wander about. I strolled off with two or three other 
soldiers of my company. Some of the inhabitants told us that there 
was an old man outside near a house about 30 metres off. It was in 
the street we were in. We walked up to the house ; it was on the 
left-hand side. There was a small space in front of the house, belong- 
ing to it. There was a little straw shed at the side of the house, open 
in front. There was also straw on the ground within the shed. On, 
the straw lay the bod*y of an old man. He was lying on his stomach. 
His head was turned a little to one side. While he was lying down 
I could not see his face well. There was a good deal of blood on the 
straw. Several of the inhabitants had come with us. Some persons 
lifted up the old man a little from the ground. I then saw that he 
had a great gash right across his throat, about four fingers wide from. 
above to below. The old man was dead. A young woman stood 
close by, crying. She was his daughter. She and others told us that 
the old man had been killed by the Germans. I did not hear them 
say under what circumstances. The young woman also told us that- 
the Germans had taken her brother away with them. 

Opposite this house there was a bicycle shop which was burning. 
Bicycle wheels and other things lay about in a burned condition. My 
comrades and I went over to look at it. The house was still burning. 
The window on the ground floor was burned out. Through it we 
could see a burned and fallen mass, parts of the ceiling, bricks, &c. 
Amongst the debris, not covered by it, we could distinctly see a human 
corpse, quite charred. I could distinctly see that it was a human form. 
I could see the form of the head and the trunk of the body and the 
tops of the legs. It was all charred. I could see no clothing and I 
could not say whether it was the body of a man or of a woman. 

I did not hear anything from the inhabitants as to how this had 
happened. I did not learn the name of the owner of the shop. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 70 At the time of our arrival at Sempst on the morning of August 25th 

I saw hou.ses burning in the village. At the commencement of the 
village, where we first halted, I should say there were about 25 houses 
burning. Amongst them was a kind of chateau, a house more luxurious 
than the others. 



105 

I went myself alone to see the burning bicycle shop. I saw the 
burning house and I found the smell of biu-ned rubber. I saw the 
burned corpse. It was distinctly recognisable as a human form. I 
■did not see the form of the head well. I saw the trunk of the body. 
It looked to me as if it had probably come through the ceiling from 
the floor above. It was stretched on the top of the debris. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I was on reconnaisance duty on bicycles ; we were five, four and d 71 
a corporal, at Sempst. The Germans had left about an hour when 
we got there. They had then retreated 4 or 5 kilometres They had 
set fire to many of the houses. It is a large village, almost a small 
town. We visited all the houses as we went along. We went into 
one which was burning, a small house inhabited by peasants. The 
neighbours told me the Germans had taken the husband prisoner. 
The corpse of the wife was on the floor. One could not see the flesh, 
it was so badly burnt, one could only see the skeleton. There were 
also on the floor the remains of the two children completely burnt. 

I cannot say whether she was killed first, or whether she could have 
■escaped, I only saw the bodies. The house had been burnt, ' not 
damaged by shell fire. The neighbours told us that the women and 
children had not got out, and I went to see if they were there. A 
hundred metres further on there was a large bicycle shop. There was 
a, young man's body lying inside, he was apparently about 20. The 
neighbours told me the Germans, before they fired the shop, had shot 
him through the window as he was working. They took away aU the 
bicycles for their own use. 

Belgian Reeugee. 
I fled with my family, and took refuge in a brewery. About 50 d 72 
or 60 of us villagers hid there in the cellars from 5 a.m. until about 

II a.m. By 11 o'clock we knew that the Germans were burning houses 
near by, so we decided to flee out of the brewery. I went, with all 
the rest of us, to an asylum for old people which is 10 minutes away. 
We remained in the asylum for two hours and then seeing that the 
neighbourhood was clear we all went back to our houses. On my 
way home I saw nothing extraordinary, but I went out again to look 
round almost immediately after I got home. All of the houses on 
the main road had been burnt and were still burning. In the butcher's 
shop I saw the half-burnt body of the butcher's son. The body was 
l3dng on the top of the debris of the house. In the next house, which 
was a bicycle shop, I saw the burnt trunk of the body of an apprentice 
whose name I do not know. It was lying on the top of a lot of bicycles ; 
I saw these bodies from the road. On the opposite side of the road 
I saw the dead body of a man I knew. He had been shot in the head 
and a bayonet wound was in his neck. The body was beside a bicycle 
in the road. His wife told me afterwards that the Germans had told 
him to get off his bicycle and shot him before he could do so. Further 
down the road behind a burnt house I found the bodies of a man and 
his son. The body of the man was in a stable and that of the son in 
the yard. The father had been bayoneted in neck and the son in 
the side. The son's bowels were all out. I went round with a number 
of neighbours. So far as I know the villagers had done nothing to 
arouse the Germans. 

Belgian Refugee. 
I was at Sempst on the 25th August. I was there vt^hen the Germans d 73 
entered. I do not remember the exact date. German patrols came 
into the \allage first. They were Uhlans. They were there four or 



106 

five days and did no harm at all. Afterwards a big force of Geianans 
entered, consisting of cavalry, infantr3^ and artillery. They passed 
my house when they made their entry. As they passed through I 
sav/ them set fire to an empty house. The main body of the force 
had passed and the rear guard threw some inflammable liquid at the 
house and then fired it. The main body started fighting with the 
Belgian forces, and dui'ing this fighting I saw other houses on fire. 
I saw a young peasant and his wife running out of their house in the 
main road from Brussels to Antwerp, v/hen they were shot by German 
soldiers of the main body. The m.an died but the woman recovered. 
I saw a father and son (peasants) bayoneted. They were outside 
their house in the main street. They (the Germans) took the peasant's 
horse which was standing outside the door in the street. I saw the 
peasant protesting just before he was bayoneted. I saw two peasants 
going along the main street on their way to feed their cattle, when 
they were shot by a patrol of German soldiers. The Germans occupied 
Sempst on two occasions. On the first occasion when they were 
compelled to retire they took 40 civilians with them. I do not know 
why they were taken or what has become of them. Six were set free- 
later on. Before the Germans occupied the town the burgomaster 
collected all the arms. No civiHans fired on the German soldiers. I 
was at Sempst on both occasions when the Germans came. 

Belgian Soldibe. 
(I 74 At the entrance of the village of Sempst we were close to a farm. 

It was about 2 p.m. The farmhouse was on fire. The body of the 
farmer, an old man, was lying there, the head severed from his body 
and lying some distance, 3 metres or so oft. Two sons, aged about 
35 to 40, were lying dead also of gunshot wounds. The vv^ife of one 
had her whole left breast cut away and was covered with blood, but 
was still alive. Leaning against the wall on some straw, she told us 
that the German Uhlans, six of them, had come into the house, and 
one of them said, " You have some Belgian soldiers hidden here,"' 
and she naturally replied " No, there are none." Instantly he struck 
her, cutting off the whole of the left breast. She did not say it was 
a blow of a sword, but I think it was. She spoke Flemish which I 
understand a little. She was very faint, having lost much blood, 
which was still flowing. She also said that they had sent up her little 
son, of some eight years old, to look in the loft, to see if there were 
any Belgians hidden in the straw, and pulled away the ladder and 
set the house on fire. It was about 22 to 25 feet from the door or 
window of the loft to the ground, and too high for him to jump clown, 
and he must have been burned to death in the straw which was there. 
The building had a thatched roof. There was a stable or cov/shed 
under the loft. The woman also said that they had ordered the old 
man, her father-in-law, her husband and her brother-in-law to accom- 
pany them as hostages, and shot the two younger men and beheaded 
the old man because they refused. She was terribly v/ounded but 
perfectly sensible, a,nd appeared to be speaking the truth in spite of 
her sufferings. We v/ere a party of about 40 men under an officer, 
but the latter could not bear to look at such things, and sent us to 
see what was the matter. We had met some peasants on the way 
who had reported to the officer that this had been done. There were 
amongst the 40 many who spoke Flemish as well as French, and who 
understood all that passed. 

Belgian Soldier. 
^ '^5 At Sempst I was with three other soldiers on patrol searching the 

houses. In a public -house I saw the body of a man of about 60 years 



107 

of age pierced with a baj^onet wound. Round him stood a woman 
and some children. Our corporal, whose name I forget, asked the 
woman if the man had been killed by the Germans. She rephed that 
the Germans were taking away ail the men from the village and that 
this man, who was her father-in-law, having refused to obey the orders 
of the Germans, they killed him. 

Belgian Soldier,. 

On August 26th I was between Malines and Hofstade, on the main d 76 
road across the canal, about quarter of an hour's walk, on the side 
remote from Malines. The Belgian troops were retreating. I saw 
a Avoman lying on her back inside a house ; her skirt was pulled up 
over her head. There were no clothes on the lower part of the body. 
8he had a wound extending from between her legs (private parts) 
to her breast. In the same house was a boy about 13 years old, 
I could not see his wounds, but by the blood I could see through his 
clothes, one on each side of chest and one in abdomen. 

The Germans were at the place in question the day before which 
the Belgians advanced and drove the Germans out of this part of the 
country. It was when retiring on the 26th that I saw the woman 
and boy. My company were in reserve at that place. Nearly all 
the soldiers in my company saw too. The commandant's soldier 
servant was with me at the time. 

No strangers were in the village, only the inhabitants, and firstly 
Germans, and after, the Belgians. 

Belgian Oeficee. 
About the time of the first sortie from Antwerp in August, I was d 77 
riding through Sempst with my battery, and I saw a skeleton in'a house 
which had been fired and quite burnt out. Sempst had not at that 
time been shelled by artillery, I saw two houses burnt out there, and 
three or four more close to the railway also burnt out. The villagers 
told me that the skeleton I saw was that of a young man, the owner 
of the house, that he tried to escape from his burning house, but the 
Germans drove him back with bayonets. This happened the day before 
or early on the same day that we entered Sempst, We entered it 
between 10 and 11 a.m. 

Belgian Soldier. 

At about the end of August at Sempst I saw a house which had been d 78 
burned, and also the charred body of a man. The inhabitants told 
me that this man had had his hands and feet bound by German soldiers, 
and that he had been thrown into the house which was set on fire ; 
and that he had given no provocation whatever, 

I also saw the dead body of another man on a barrow. He had 
been strangled and afterwards bayoneted in the neck. I saw the 
mark of the bayonet in the neck. This man's v/ife told me that he 
had first been strangled. 

I do not know the names of either of the above. 

Belgian Soldier, 
On the 25th of August we were passing through the village of d 79 
Sempst in order to get in touch with the enemy, who were retreating 
in the direction of Vilvorde after the battle of Malines. We were stop- 
ping for an hour or so in the village of Sempst. In a little street near 
the beginning of the village I saw the body of a man of about 55 years 
of age lying on a barrow in a shed, the head almost severed from the 
body, but still adhering to it. There had been no engagement in the 
village previously. We had been given an hour's rest with the order 



108 

to reassemble at a given place. I had wandered off with my friend 
E . . . le C . . ., that is how we came to be in the little street. A 
number of the villagers stood round crying. It was about 2 or 3 o'clock 
in the afternoon. I asked the people standing by what had happened, 
they replied that the man was a peasant who, when asked by the^ 
German soldiers to give them money, had refused, and that they 
thereupon cut off his head. A little further on in the same village lay 
a young man whose hands had been cut off. The hands were right off 
and they were not there. My friend saw this too. The body of the 
young man was quite cold, and the villagers said that he had been 
killed that morning. Still further on in the village lay in the midst 
of the ruins of a house, a man whom I took to be the ovvnaer and a vendor 
of bicycles. The body was completely burnt. I was told that German 
soldiers had first bound him and then set fire to the house. The people 
of the village told me that it was done merely to terrorise. Besides 
this I saw in the same house two burnt bodies. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 80 We were in the village of Sempst, from which the Germans had 

retired, and it was my duty as being the leader of the patrol to go into 
the houses to see that there were no Germans left behind. I and one 
of mj soldiers went into one of the village houses. On entering there 
was nothing to be remarked nor did I notice anything upstairs. I 
continued my researches into the back yard, meaning to look through 
the stables. On opening the back door of the house I saw four Germans, 
climbing over the wall and trying to escape. Three got away and 
the fourth I shot dead. Lying on the ground I found four children,, 
three little girls and a boy. Each had its hands cut. They were dying- 
but not quite dead. Their hands still hung to their arms by the skin. 
There was blood all round on the ground. There was no one with the 
children either in the j^ard or in the house. We left the house, it was 
impossible to do anything for the children. That all took place in the 
last house of the village. 

Over a kilometre further on we were crossing some fields between 
woods. We could see a woman in flight coming towards us in a donkey 
cart. About the same moment I fired at an Uhlan who was trying to- 
escape from us. The Uhlan and the woman were on the same track. 
There was not room for both to pass, and the Uhlan struck the woman 
who was still in the cart with liis lance. Pulling out the lance he shot 
at her and killed her v/ith his carbine, the bullet entering her chest. 
I fired at the Uhlan but missed him, and I saw him kiUed later by the 
machine gun. I went up to the cart and satisfied myself that the 
woman was dead. I took the body out of the cart a,nd put it on the 
roadside in the stra.w in the neighbouring cornfield and unharnessed 
the donkey and went on. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 81 I was at Sempst early in September about five minutes' march from 

the village. I saw several bodies of civilians. I looked at two bodies. 
One — a woman— had her throat cut, I could not say whether it was 
done with a bayonet or sabre or knife. She was 45 or 50, I should say. 
The man, of about the same age, was shot in the head. It must have 
been done in the night, because the neighbours said the Germans 
had been there the night before and had retreated in the morning. 
They also said that the man and woman had been killed because they 
would not give the Germans horses. The man was a miller and had- 
a farm also. The farm and mill were side by side. The man's body 
was in the mill and the woman's outside the farmhouse. I do not 
know myself how long they had been dead. I did not "touch the- 
bodies. I was on patrol duty with a corporal and four others. 



109 

Belgian Refugee. 

At the commencement of the war I was attached to the Red Cross d 82 
stationed at Brussels. I was passing with an ambulance at Sempst, 
between Malines and Eppeghem. There were in all 15 carriages 
{i.e., ambulances). The German soldiers shot on the first carriage, but 
nobody was hurt. The Germans were cyclists, but I do not know 
the name of their regiment. I was driving the last carriage at the 
time. 

I was shortly afterwards taken prisoner with all the other Belgians, 
and our ambulances were detained. At the end of about two hours 
we were set free, with the exception of 30 wounded Belgian soldiers, 
whom the Germans took away with them. 

At Sempst a man and his son who kept a small estaminet or cafe. 
He was asked by the German soldiers as to where the Belgian troops 
were. He refused to say where the troops were, and both he and his 
son were at once shot by the Germans. I was informed of this when 
I shortly afterwards passed on my ambulance, and I then saw the 
corpses of the two men. I placed a sheet over their bodies. The man's 
wife fainted when she saw me covering the bodies, and she afterwards 
told me how the men met their death. 

Belgian Officer. 
I was at Sempst about the end of August. The Germans were ^ 83 
retiring and we were pressing on them. We entered about mid-clay. 
A young girl about 17 came up to me crying in the village ; she w^as 
dressed only in a chemise : she told me that 17 girls including herself, 
had been dragged into a field and stripped quite naked and violated, 
and that twelve of them had been killed by being ripped up across 
the stomach with a bayonet. She told me that there were a great 
number of soldiers. I could not leave my battery to go and see the 
corpses : the girl told me it was 10 minutes' walk. In the same village 
on the same clay I saw a man in a barn (dead) ; the corpse was burnt 
and his legs cut off. The village people told us that his legs had been 
cut off, and he had been thrown alive into the fire. I also saw a man 
lying shot against a wall ; his wife told me that he had refused to give 
up his horse, and the Germans had then taken it and shot him. 

Labourer. 

At the commencement of the war and before the Germans arrived d 84 
at Malines, there was an engagement at Sempst between the Belgian Weerde. 
and some German troops. The Germans were repulsed and came to 
Weerde. I was informed that the Germans met a man who 
belonged to Sempst, who had a horse. The Germans wanted the 
horse but the man said he wanted to use the horse himself. A German 
soldier then cut the man's throat. I afterwards saw this man. He 
was dead, and his head was almost severed from his body, but I do 
not know what weapon had been used against him. This man's 
neighbour told me of the above, and also that his house had been 
burned and that the animals inside the place had also been killed. 
I saw them lying dead. I was also told that this man's son, aged 18, 
who had been made a prisoner, attempted to run awaj^ and was 
shot dead by the Germans. I saw his dead body, shot through his 
chest. 

I saw four corpses lying in the road close to my house. The bodies 
were covered with sheets and I did not look at them. I was told that 
they were four civilians who lived near by at Sempst (and whom 
I knew by sight) and that the Germans alleged that the men had shot 
upon the German soldiers. This was quite untrue, because the 
civilians had all given up their weapons a week previously. 



110 

During the whole of the time the Germans were at the town the 
burgomaster and the chief clergymen were made prisoners. I after- 
wards saw the burgomaster at Ostend when I was waiting to leave 
there for England. 

Post Office Official. 
d 85 Before the war I lived at Malines. I was taken prisoner by the 

German soldiers early in September. They compelled me to march 
(with other refugees) with the troops. 

In passing through a village near Sempst, the name of which I do 
not know,* I saw several old men (Belgian civilians) beside the road 
wounded. I saw a private German soldier go up to one of these 
wounded old men (he was bleeding in the face) and strike him in the 
back with the butt end of his rifle. He fell do^vn and was struck 
heavily again several times whilst on the ground. I believe he was 
kiUed. 

He had given no sort of provocation. Several other ci kalians were 
struck at the same time by the Germans but I did not tliink seriously 
hurt. There were non-commissioned officers present, but I think no 
commissioned officer. 

In the same village I saw two little children (girls), three or four 
years old, standing beside the road with a woman who appeared to be 
their mother. As the Germans came up, two of them drove their 
bayonets through the bodies of these two children, killing them. 

Close beside the road there was a small farm homestead burning and 
the bodies of the two children were pitched into the flames by the 
soldiers who killed them ; they tossed them in with their bayonets. 
It was a different soldier who killed each child. The same thing was 
done by each, one killing one child and one the other. I saw no 
commissioned officer present. The mother was crying — the soldiers 
pushing her away. I did not think she was hurt. Other people saw 
this happen, but they are strangers to me and I cannot give their 
names. This village was about haK an hour's walk from Sempst — 
on the east of it. 

Belgian Soldier (Electrical Engineer by Profession). 
d 86 On the 9th September at Weerde, a village south of Malines, about 

8 kilometres, I was on special service in plain clothes. I met another 
man from another regiment in the same capacity. I do not know 
his name, but I should recognise him if I saw him. We saw the 
corpse of a man and a woman. We inquired of the neighbours and 
they told us that the woman was enceinte. She had been violated by 
German soldiers and had had her womb cut open by them in her 
husband's presence. He had been pre\'iously bound to the bannisters. 
They had removed the unborn child. We saw the latter half burnt. 
The flesh was grilled more than bvunt. They had beheaded the 
husband. We saw the very place where they beheaded him covered 
with blood. They took the man's head and thrust it into the woman's 
womb after tearing out the child. We saw the two corpses in this state 
after it had been done. There were many neighbours round, at least 
a dozen, from the houses quite near. I asked if any of the soldiers who 
did it were drunk and they said tliey were not. We who were on 
special ser^nce were a short way in front of the patrols and the Germans 
had just left when we got there. I had met my companion only a 
few yards from where we found them. The bodies were in the front 
room, the kitchen was behind. Several of the neighbours said they 
saw the whole thing through the windows. There were six soldiers 
together in the house, one was a non-commissioned officer. We were 
there about 9 a.m. The child's body had been thrown down in the 

* Probably Weerde. 



Ill 

fireplace, and some paper put under it and burnt. I do not think it 
could have htippened more than an hour. The woman was completely 
]iaked. The man was fully clothed. They were people of middle 
class, apparently of about 35 years old. The neighbours told me it 
would have been her first child. They said that the Germans had done 
it out of sheer villainy and had not suggested that they had been fired 
on by civilians. I did not see any civihans who had been fired on by 
the soldiers. They did not do anything to the woman to kill her 
except opening her womb and violating her. They did not kill her 
first. We noticed particularly that she had no other wounds. I do 
not think she could have been wounded in the back by a bullet. She 
was lying on her back. 

At Londerzeel I was with my regiment and we had driven out the 
Germans. We found several houses where there was blood on the 
floor, and in one house we found a young girl of 14 years about, it 
was in a house quite near a notary's hoxise, I think there would be only 
one notary in a village of that size. She was half mad when we found 
her. Her mother was there, and told us that seven German Red 
Cross men had violated her one after another. They were peasants. 
It had been done quite recently, just before the Germans were driven 
out. At Lebbeke, not far from Antwerp, near the outer third line of 
fortifications, I was making a reconnaissance about a kilometre in 
front of the regiment. There was a house which had been partly 
demolished and burnt, in the neighbourhood of the cemetery. Some 
women who lived there told us that in the morning — we were there in 
the afternoon — the Germans had buried some of their dead in the 
cemetery. To avenge themselves for their death, they had searched 
for the most recently married in the village and had taken 12 couples. 
They made the husbands dig graves for themselves. They then shot 
the whole 24 and buried them there. It was a place of about 3,000 
inhabitants, I should say, and when we were there, there Avas not a 
single man left. The Germans had taken them all away. There 
were about 40 v/omen there. They also told me that the Germans 
captured three of our chasseurs a pied, and bound their hands together 
and tied them to the stirrups, and then galloped through the streets. 
The Chasseurs could not keep up with the horses and were dragged 
along the paved streets and wounded. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I joined my regiment at Ghent. My regiment went from Duffel d 87 
to Malines and took part in the battle at MaHnes when the town was Eppeghem. 
first bombarded. This was the 23rd of August.* I was on this day 
taken on by the Red Cross service as a stretcher-bearer, as I had passed 
an examination for such work when I served before. I was sent with 
a doctor towards Eppeghem. We had to hide in a dry ditch so as to 
avoid being hit by the artillery. I was then ordered to take some 
wounded Belgians to a small convent in Eppeghem where there was 
accommodation for the wounded. At the convent I found a woman 
y/ho had been pierced by a bayonet. The woman Avas in a dying 
condition. The ambulance I was with w&s then told off to take 
this woman to a Red Cross station at Mahnes, as the Germans were 
coming very close to Eppeghem and it was necessary to get the 
wounded 'away. The woman was placed in this Red Cross station, 
which was in the Rue de Bruxelles at Malines. She was attended by 
two doctors and I looked on while the bandages were taken off. The 
woman's stomach had been cut open right across, the wound being 
some foot or more long. The woman was Avith child as could clearly 
be seen from her size. The doctor who examined was not sure that the 
womb had been pierced by the bayonet cut. The woman was in a 

* This should be the 25th. 



112 

dying condition when I saw her, so the doctors told me, but I Aid not 
actually see her die. I did not hear the names of the two doctors 
nor the name of the woman. 

On the same day between Malines and Eppeghem I saw six dead 
bodies of Belgian civihans — ^^they were labourers. Three of them were 
lying altogether and one had been killed with a bayonet as far as I 
could judge. He had three or four wounds in his stomach and blood 
was oozing out of them. His clothes had been cut by the bayonet. 
After this date I went to a hospital at Antwerp, and from there 
eventually came over to England. 

Belgian Soldier. 

d 88 On 28th August I was serving with my regiment near the village of 

Eppeghem, near Hofstade. I was patrolling the village for a way of 
escape as we were surrounded hj Germans. I heard cries of women 
and children. I passed through the German lines. As I passed 
through the village I saw on the outskirts a lot of men, women and 
children lying dead. They had been shot. There were about 20 
bodies altogether. On another occasion I was at Muissen * after the 
German patrols had been driven out. I went into a house on the high 
road. It was the first house on the right-hand side going towards 
Lou vain. I then saw at the foot of the stairs the body of a man with 
his head smashed in. The stairs were marked with blood all the way 
as if he had been thrown down. The man was a civilian. He had been 
shot. There were marks of German bullets everywhere in the house. 
I examined the bullets. Upstairs I saw a woman lying on a bed with 
her throat cut. There were broken wine bottles lying about every- 
where. 

Belgian Soldier. 

d 89 At Eppeghem, in the middle of September (I cannot remember the 

date because I have lost my field note-book), I saw the dead body 
of a child of about two years of age outside the village near the road 
to Vilvorde. A German lance, similar to those used by Uhlans and 
other German cavalry, was in the child's body and was stuck into the 
ground through the body. The wound was still bleeding. The 
Germans had vacated the ^'illage about half an hour earlier, falling 
back before strong Belgian patrols, cavalry and foot. I removed the 
lance from the child's body and gave it to a cavalry patrol attached to 
our First Division who had lost his weapon. The patrol was also 
advancing to Vilvorde. I saw none of the civil population near where 
the child was, but people around the church told us earlier that the 
Germans had been in the village about four days and that all 
requisitions had been complied with, but that some persons had been 
murdered. The church was not very far, about 10 minutes, from 
where I saw the child, but it took us some time to get to that place 
because we were searching houses. I made no inquiries for the parents 
of the child because I found it after I had left the village and I was 
excited, having been advancing under fire for two days. Whilst 
advancing from Eppeghem with the same three men on the same day 
along the Brussels route towards Vilvorde and shortly after passing 
the station of Weerde, we met a woman whose blouse or dress was 
torn open in front and she was all covered with blood. Her breasts 
had been cut off, the edges of the wounds being torn and rough. We 
spoke to the woman. She was with us for 10 minutes, but it was 
impossible to understand what she was saying as she was " folle." f 
* Muysen. 

t Note by Examining Barrister. — Witness told me that by " folle " he thought 
she was delirious with pain. I asked him why they did nothing. He said they could 
do nothing except fasten up her dress. They were in the middle of fighting, but that 
she was so bad that one of their party proposed to put her out of pain, as she seemed 
dying, but that he objected. 



113 

She went along the road towards Eppeghem. There were other troops 
patrolling to our left and right but not advancing along the road. We 
proceeded towards Vilvorde and were driven back along the railway 
line past Weerde. It was not possible to get into the village of 'Weerde 
as it was not safe and our only rovite was along the railway line. 

Both these incidents were reported to officers of my company on 
the same evening by me. 

Belgian Soldier. 

On August 2oth my division was going to Elewyt, near Malines. -p,^^^ 
We were attacking the Germans, who were retiring. We entered Elewyt. 
the village about 10 a.m. on the morning of the 25th. While we 
were coming in I saw, in a yard behind a house on the right-hand 
side, a man, quite naked, who was tied to a ring in the wall, used 
for fastening up horses. His hands were tied behind his back to the 
ring and his body was bent forward. I was one of a patrol of four 
men of my company. We entered the yard in order to make sure 
that there were no Germajis about the house. I went up to the 
body. I undid it. It was I alone, who went in alone, and I did it 
alone. I rested the body against my shoulder and held the body up 
while I was untying it. It was tied with a horse bridle. I should 
say that the man was about 32 years of age. I was just letting the 
body drop to the ground when other men of my company came in 
and they saw him too. We all examined the man. The head was 
so riddled with bullets that one could hardly say that he had any 
longer a face. We found one ball which had passed through the 
head into the wall behind him. In the centre of the chest we saw 
a fine, mark of piercing with a bayonet, as if the latter had been laid 
on quite gently and shoved through. The hole was not large. It 
came out at the other side and there the hole was still smaller but 
a little more rugged. I should think the mark behind might have 
come from the saw- like reverse of a German bayonet. His private 
parts appeared to have been slashed oS. The mark left in the middle 
of the body showed this. It looked as if there had been rather a 
hacking off than a cutting off. The organ itself lay on the ground. 
There was still hair about the middle of the body. There was a great 
deal of blood on the ground. The blood was coagulated. The body 
was cold, but there was absolutely no sign of decomposition. 

In the same yard, in the stable itself, my comrade found the body 
of a woman lying on her back on straw upon the floor, quite naked. 
It bore clear marks of violation. We examined the body. There 
was a great deal of blood, bluish in colour. The private parts were 
torn. I could not say if by any instrument. It was a woman of 
middle height, about 30 years of age. On her left arm she was 
tattooed with the letters " H.B." in the centre of a crown. There 
was the same mark of a bayonet thrust as we had seen in the case 
of the man. On the breasts themselves there were absolutely no 
marks. She was not tied. We turned over the body and saw at 
the back exactly the same mark as we had noticed on the man. The 
eyes were widely opened, and bore an expression of some agony ; 
they were blue underneath. 

A young child, a boy of about three or four years, lay partly in 
the manger and partly over it. His two hands and feet were cut 
off. We did not find them. There were no marks on the body. One 
arm and one leg stretched beyond the manger and the other leg 
within it. 

Officer, Belgian Army. 
At Elewyt I have seen a woman and three children v\^ith their d 91 
hands and heads cut off by the Germans. In the month of September 



d92 
Vilvorde 



d93 



d04 

Boort- 

Meerbeek. 



114 

in the evening (150 metres away from me) they were setting fire to 
the farms before my eyes, forcing out the inhabitants and firing at them. 

Belgian Soldier. 

I am a soldier of the Belgian Army, and was wounded at Dixmude 
on 23rd October. 

I was engaged in patrol duty at Vilvorde one day in the month 
of August, and on entering a house there I found the dead bodies 
of three men killed by bayonet wounds. 

They were civilians and had their ordinary clothes on. 

Belgian R-EruGEE. 

On Sunday evening, the 23rd of August, at about 5 o'clock, I saw 
nine Belgian cyclists, forming part of a patrol, at Humbeek-sas. 
They placed me and some other civilians behind them upon the 
approach of four Uhlans. The Belgian soldiers then hid and on the 
Uhlans coming near they shot at them and the Uhlans retreated. 
The Belgian soldiers then left the village. 

At about 8 o'clock the same night I was standing outside the 
door of my house (at Vilvorde) when the alarm was given th^-t the 
Germans were coming. My wife and I went into our back garden, 
and I climbed a tree. I could hear the crying of men and women in 
the streets and I saw the " fire " coming from the rifles of the German 
soldiers. I saw a man named de W. . . , who was trying to escape 
from his house two doors from mine. He was a good man and was 
obviously trying to reach the public house, where there were more 
people and more protection. He was shot in the hip by a German 
soldier who was close by and I heard him screaming. The Germans 
took him to a public house in the street. (I was afterwards informed 
that the Germans poured some cognac into the wound and made a 
splint for the wound.) While I was still in the tree I saw the Germans 
place the man on a cart on which there was some hay, on which he 
was taken away with about 20 other civilians on the way to Vilvorde. 
I also saw some soldiers going from house to house searching for 
civilians, but they did not observe me on the tree or my wife among 
the shrubs. 

A neighbour of mine who drove the cart on which the man had 
been placed told me that he went in the cart to Vilvorde, and that a 
soldier held a revolver close to him all the way. He was allowed to 
return in the cart, but the man was kept at Vilvorde. The soldiers 
said that the man was going to be shot, because he had hit a German 
soldier, which was untrue. 

All the civilians about 20 to 22 who lived near me were captured 
on the same day, but I was not captured, and left the next day, 24th 
August. 

Belgian Soldier. 

On the 25th of August at Boort Meerbeek I was behind the regi- 
ment, for I could scarcely walk and rested from time to time, two 
other soldiers being with me. The road forked at a certain spot, the 
regiment taking the right-hand road. On the left, close to the corner, 
were two small houses and straight ahead were woods, thus (see next 
page). 

I and my two comrades were at the spot where the three crosses 
are marked. We saw a German soldier come out of the wood and 
fire three separate times at a little girl of from 4 to 6 years of age who 
was at the point marked A. Seeing that he failed to hit the child by 
firing at her and that she stood quite still, he ran at her and bayoneted 
her in the stomach. At the sight of this we rushed up and the German 
soldier threw up his hands as a sign of surrender, but I killed him with 



115 

the butt end of my rifle. With the exception of the little girl there 
was no one in the neighbourhood. 

IVooc/s IVooo^s mads 



The /^o^c/77e/z^ ^oircAi/7^ 
A 



UD 




AoLz ses 



Belgian Soldier. 
About the 22nd or 23rd of August last, after we ^^^^ dj^^^^ ^^e d^95^ 
Germans out of Herent, near Louvam, we round there the chaired 
body of a man, whose age it was impossible to guess, m what was 
left of a butcher's shop which had evidently been set on fire by the 
Germans. The head and lower limbs were missing, suggesting previous 

^^^AboX20 metres away we saw in a hand-cart the dead body of a 
civilian who, by his clothing appeared to have been a labourer. J3y 
the appearance of the face he had been Strang ed by hand. 

There was no weapon of any kind by him. He seemed to be 

about 65 years of age. - il + oa 

\fter the battle of Sempst, I saw the Germans bayonet about 30 

wounded Belgian soldiers lying on the field. I was hiding m a trench 

(having been separated from my company) when I saw this. 

Afterwards the same wounded soldiers were taken away by the 

German ambulance corps. 

Railway Servant. 
At Louvain I was taken with my wife and two children by the 
Germans into a brickfield. There we found 16 other men-civihans 
On the way, my son aged 16 was wounded in the body by the bayonet 
of one of the German soldiers accompanying us, and on arriving at 
the brickfield the boy fainted from loss of blood After we arrived 
another man, also a civilian, was brought into the brickfield, and i 
saw the Germans kill him— they shot him with a revolver 

Afterwards the Germans tied oiu- hands behind our backs, and 
having selected five, including myself, we were made to march m 
front of the German troops, and were directed by one of the othcers 
to guide the troops to Herent. The officer told us that he did to 
so that if the troops were fired on we should be the first to fall. We 
were pushed along at the point of the bayonet. 

On the wav I saw four or five civihans lying dead by the roadside, 
one of whom appeared to have been shot in the face I was unable 
to see how the others had been put to death. They had no weapons 

^^^ At Herent the officer told us that our company had not been fired 
upon, but the other company had, so they had shot all the men left 
in the brickfield, among whom was my son. -, , ,i, . • i ^ ij 

I never saw my wife or daughter after we arrived at the brickfaeld, 
though I have since heard they are safe. 



d96 



116 

We arrived at Bueken, eight or nine miles from Louvain. • On the 
way we were joined by 300 to 400 other civiHan prisoners — men, 
women and children. At Bueken a large fire was lighted by the 
Germans in a field, and we five were ordered to walk through it. I 
was the first of the five, a.nd on approaching the fire I saw a plank 
which had not been burned, and so I stepped on that and was able 
to jump through without being burned myself. The other four men 
were then allowed to walk round instead of through the fire to the 
other side where I was. 

^Ve were then taken back to the other prisoners, the men being 
separated from the women and children. 

It was between 6 and 7 a.m. that I had been taken to the brick- 
field, and at about 11 p.m. the men were taken to a field close to a 
burning faranhouse — more than a hundred of us. We were made 
to kneel in two lines, our hands still tied behind us, and we were 
made to bite the earth. 

After this we were forced into a small farmhouse which was not 
large enough to hold us. but those behind were pushed in by the 
German soldiers with the butt ends of their rifles. There we were 
left without food until 9 or 10 o'clock next morning, and were almost 
stifled for want of air. 

Belgian Refugee. 
d 97 I used to live in Herent, near Louvain. The Germans arrived at 

the end of August. At first they did nothing. After 11 days they 
Vv'ent on to Malines, but were repulsed by the Belgians and then began 
to ill-treat the civilians. 

Two days later I saw the Germans shoot a civilian of 35 or so ; 
he was standing by his door at the time. I and my wife were then 
prisoners, I had my hands tied behind my back ; we saw it as 
we were being taken out of a house — -150 yards off. I also saw 
the Germans throw the body of a j^oung man into a burning house. 
I was 100 yards off. I cannot say whether he was alive or dead. 
I saw at Winxele Delle (Brabant) a German soldier shoot at a civilian 
who was running away, and when he fell the soldier stabbed him 
with his bayonet many times and came back to us — the prisoners — 
and put up his bayonet saying, " Smell, smell ; it is the blood of a 
Belgian pig." 

At Bueken (Brabant) I saw a priest ill-treated ; he was an old 
man of 75 or 80 years of age. He was brought up with the other 
prisoners, he could not walk fast enough ; he was driven on with 
blows from butt ends of rifles and knocked do^oi. He cried out, 
" I can go no farther," and a soldier thrust his bayonet into his neck 
at the back — the blood flowed do^vn in quantities. The old man 
begged to be shot, 'but the officer said, " That's too good for you ! " 
He was taken off behind a house and we heard shots. He did not 
return. 

Wife of Previous Witness. 
d 98 I also saw the Germans shoot the civilian at his door, and 

I saw the soldiers throwing the body of a young man into the flames 
of a burning house. I think he was alive ; I saw him wriggle. I 
think we were only 10 yards or so away, but I cannot remember 
exactly. It was 11 houses away. I also saw the civilian shot and 
bayoneted and the soldier who did it came back and said, " Smell, 
smell ; it is the blood of a Belgian pig." I was made to smell the 
bayonet. 

There were children with us (two of mine and others) ; they were 
driven along with blows ; I saw one child bayoneted three times 
because it could not walk fast enough. I think it was a girl of seven 
or eight years of age. I also saw the old priest ill-treated. I saw 
four burnt bodies in Herent and Bueken. We were all driven up by 



117 

the Germans close to them so that we could see them. The Germans 
took them out of a burnt house and laid them in the street. We 
saw them dragging out the bodies ; my husband had known one of 
the dead men ; . he was a carpenter. 

Belgian Refugee— Youth. 

On the 20th or 21st of September I was in the viUage of Aanbosch, d 99 
which is about a quarter of an hour from Herent. Herent is about 20 
or 25 minutes from Rotselaer. I had fled to Aanbosch from Rotselaer 
because the Germans had come to E^otselaer and had taken all the 
men and boys. There was a fight between the Belgians and the 
Germans at Aanbosch. The German soldiers said that some Belgian 
soldiers were concealed in two farmhouses at Aanbosch. This was 
not true, as there were no soldiers there. I saw the Germans firing 
at these houses ; I was hiding in an asparagus bed and was concealed 
by the taU plants. The occupants of the two houses came outside 
and aU of them were bayoneted by the Germans. There were 13 
altogether, four men and nine women. The women were some of 
them young girls of about 16 or 17. The German soldiers then set 
on fire the two houses and threw the dead bodies into the fire. The 
men who were killed were all civilians, there were no soldiers there. 
(Thirteen names given.) I knew both families well. There was 
another boy with me in the asparagus bed and he saw these people 
killed, too. This boy came from Wygmael, which is near Herent. 
There were also three others, young boys, in the asparagus bed. They 
also saw the killing of these people. The Germans never saw a,ny of 
us as we were well hidden in the asparagus. We were there for about 
three hours. I told what I had seen to the priest at Aerschot because 
he was with us when we fled. 

Later on I was taken prisoner by the Germans, but was released 
at Boort Meerbeek. I eventually reached Ghent on foot and from 
there went to Ostend and so came to England. 

I hid in the asparagus bed with my companions because we saw 
the Germans coming and we were afraid. 

Agricultural Labourer. 
I am an agricultural labourer and live at Haecht, near Louvain. d 100 ' 
The Germans first came to Haecht about the 14th or 15th of August. Haecht. 
They passed through the village. They came continually after that 
in small and large numbers — some staying and some passing through. 
First of all the artillery came, then cavahy and then infantry. About 
the 28th August, five cavalrymen came into the village. I saw five 
men go into an estaminet with the son of the landlord. (Six names 
given.) The estaminet was on the opposite side of the village from 
which the cavalrymen had come in. I was standing in the road 
150 metres from the public house. When I saw the men go into the 
estaminet, the cavalrymen were about 100 metres beyond the esta- 
minet. The Belgians each had a bicycle except one man. The 
cavalrymen came up to the estaminet. The Belgians were in the 
yard. The five Belgians appeared to be forced to go in front of the 
cavalrymen. The landlord's son was not among them. He had fled 
into a wood near by before the Germans came up to the estaminet. 
The Germans took these Belgians about 100 metres across a field and 
across the main road from x\erschot to Brussels. There the Germans 
dismounted. One of them held the horses and the other four forced 
the Belgians about 200 metres further over another field. Thej^ went 
behind some bushes and were lost to view. A man I kaew, from 
Haecht, told me that he saw the men lined up and shot by the Germans, 
and that all were killed, and that he saw this from a window of his 
house which is 100 metres away from the spot. Six hours after the 



118 • 

shooting I went to the spot and saw four dead bodies in a heap. They 
were the bodies of (four names given). I saw no more of the Germans 
myself after I saw them return to their horses on the road and ride 
off towards Brussels. I saw the fifth man in a Red Cross hospital at 
Haecht in the afternoon of the next day. He was wounded in the 
left knee. I spoke to him, but he was too weak to answer. I do not 
know anytliing about his wound except that the man told me that 
he had been bayoneted in two j)]aces after the shooting. In the 
Red Cross Hospital was a man whom I knew. He told me that 
he was walking in a field and was shot by the Germans in the foot. 
It must have been the same day, but he did not give me any details. 
The man's father took him to Louvain Hospital that same evening on 
a donkey cart. None of the villagers carried arms. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 101 At the end of August on the day before the battle of Haecht, I 

was scouting with six other men in the direction of Haecht. It was 
about 4 p.m. We had got up to witliin 500 yards or so of the Haecht 
Brewery when I heard firing. We advanced in the direction of the 
brewery, Almost immediately we saw a number of German cavalry- 
men. There were about 30 and they came from beiiind a wall. We 
opened fire and three of the Germans fell. The rest of them galloped 
off. We went back to tell the commanding officer of the battalion — 
about 300 metres away — what had happened. The whole battalion 
then advanced to the brewery. We marched along the road and 
passed the end of the brewery wall. On the far side were the bodies 
of about 10 men, all civilians. They were all lying in a row lined 
along the wall. As I belonged to the patrol I was marching at the 
head of the battalion. At the brewery we found two civilians who 
came with us to show which way the Germans had gone. They told 
me that they had been lined up to be shot, but the Germans had not 
had time to shoot all ; that the men shot were the brewery hands. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 102 Before the war I lived at Haecht, in Brabant ; I was a labourer. 

About the middle of August the German soldiers entered Haecht. 
They seized a number of civihans and drove them in front of them. 
They were all men. Amongst them were myself, my father and 
several of our neighbours. Five of these neighbours were placed 
against a wall and shot by the Germans with their rifles. Four were 
killed outright, another was wounded ; he escaped being killed by 
pretending he was dead. After he had been shot and wounded he 
was stabbed with a bayonet in the abdomen. I helped to put him into 
a cart. The four dead men I helped to bury. There was no reason 
for what v/as done. The men were standing outside their doors. 
The Germans said thej^ were spies, but they were not. Afterwards 
I and six other men (neighbours) were stripped of our clothes by the 
Germans, placed naked against a wall and threatened with the bayonets 
but they eventually let us go, we assuring them we were not spies. 
After we had got our clothes on again the Germans forced us to m^arch 
in front of them towards Malines, where the Belgian troops were in 
force. There were many people besides me and my neighbours — at 
least 2000 — all men. We were fired on by our own countrymen from 
the Malines forts. None of us were killed. 

I returned to m.y home and there found the dead bodies of mj^^^ 
wife's sister and her brother at the mortuary. Neighbours told me 
they had been taken out of the river, where the Germans had thrown 
them after shooting them. There was a bullet wound in the brother's 
forehead. He was a civilian. 



119 

Belgian Soldier. 

I am 28 years of age, and live at Brussels. 

On the 26th of August I was wounded ; on the same day I was ^ 103 
in Haecht, and there saw a round well behind a brewery. On the 
surface of the well I saw the bodies of a woman and a man. The 
people who lived near told me that the man and woman and their 
seven children had been put in this Well. I saw some feet beside the 
bodies of the man and woman. There was some water in the well, 
and the stench was awful. 

Belgian Soldier. 

On the 26th August there was an engagement between the Belgian d iC4 
and the German troops, which lasted for two days. I was wounded 
and was taken prisoner by the Germans (who belonged to the 86th 
Regiment of Infantry). x\t the end of four days the Germans retreated 
and I was left behind with about 100 other wounded Belgian soldiers. 
During the time I was with the German soldiers they attended to my 
wouncl, but I was not given any food. 

I was taken in a Red Cross motor car with five other wounded 
soldiers. Between Malines and Louvain, we v/ent through a little 
village called Haecht, and I saw a labourer's house in which all the 
windows and door were smashed. I went in the house with a comrade, 
and there saw the dead body of a woman of about 30-35 years of age. 
Her head had been severed from her body, and one arm and one leg 
had also been cut off. The clothes were saturated with blood. I 
do not know the name of the woman. 

At a place called Duffel I saw the body of a child about seven years 
of age whose head had been severed from her body. The iiead lay 
about three yards away. The child was dressed. I was in the Red 
Cross motor car at the time, and did not then get out of it, but I saM^ 
the child quite easily from the car. My companions also saw it. 

Belgian Soldier. 

After the Belgian troops had been fighting at Haecht on the 26th d 105 
August I saw the body of a little child aged about three years, whose 
stomach had been cut open by a bayonet near a place called Boort 
Meerbeek, lying close to a house. The people at the village told me 
that the child had been killed in its mother's arms. I did not see the 
mother. The Germans had previously been in occupation of the 
village. 

Two or three of my comrades were with me at the time, but I do 
not know whether any of them are at present in England. 

Belgian Soldier. 
In the village of Haecht, between Louvain and Malines, I counted d lOG 
certainly five or six open wells in which petrol had been put. There 
is no water-supply and the wells are for drinking. There were about 
1600 soldiers there of my regiment alone and all drinking water had 
to be fetched for them to drink by wagons from Keerbergen at least 
five kilometres away. I could not be certain that the Germans did 
it. But the inhabitants had fled without taking anything, and I do 
not think they would have had time to do it. The Germans had 
occupied it for 15 days from about the 20th of August to the lltli 
September, when we drove them out and I found the wells in this 
condition. 

Belgian Soldier. 
On September 10th we came to the village of Haecht, and I and d 107 
some others were sent out as a patrol : we passed a river and came 



120 * 

to a farm-house. On the door of the farm I saw a child — ^two or three 
years old — nailed to the door by its hands and feet. It was clothed 
and quite dead. There was no wound of any sort on the body ; the 
face was horribly dra"v^Ti with pain. In the garden of the same house 
I saw the body of another child — a little girl of five or six ; she had 
been shot in the forehead. 

All the villagers had fled, and had not yet returned, although the 
Germans had been driven back. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 108 About 13th or 14th September we captured the village of Haecht 

from the Germans. We had, however, to retreat again. While 
resting we found a woman lying in the road naked to the waist. The 
breasts were cut right off — both of them. Lieutenant D . . . ordered 
us to cover the woman with a small German " tent " we found close 
by in the haversack of a German, and we afterwards buried her. My 
section was with me at the time. 

Belgiajst Soldier. 
d 109 I was in command of a patrol on the 9th or 10th of September, in 

the neighbourhood of Haecht. About 6 p.m. I had got my men in 
extended order and we were going thus in the direction of Louvain 
and we were about a kilometre and a half from Haecht, when I came 
upon a number of corpses in the middle of a field. I passed quite close 
to them. The first one of them I noticed was the corpse of a German 
marine. Altogether there were three of them. The fourth corpse 
was that of a boy of 4 or 5 years old. His body was lying in the middle 
of the marines' bodies. His hands and feet had been cut off. I did not 
see the hands or feet lying near by. There were four patches of blood 
where the stumps of the arms and legs were lying. The blood was dry. 
There was no blood round the bodies of the marines. When I saw the 
bodies I was only 30 metres from the nearest Belgian in my patrol. 
I did not caU his attention to the bodies, because we were under 
shrapnel fire. The bodies were about 50 metres from the nearest 
house — a small farm. 

Bblgiaist Soldier. 
d 110 The 26th August there was a battle in Malines and we drove the 

Werchter. Germans back. By about 5 in the afternoon we had advanced as far 
as Werchter. We entered a house there and found a man and a woman 
and four younger people. One of them was a young girl with all her 
garments torn. All were dead. We could not stop to examine the 
wounds or how they were caused. — We were told by the people there 
that the family was shot because the girl would not give herself up to 
the Germans and the family helped her. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 111 My regiment was cantoned near Antwerp, and from there we made 

a sortie about the beginning of September. On the second day we 
captured Werchter, which lies between Mahnes and Louvain, from the 
Germans. I formed part of a patrol consisting of four men of laj 
company and a sergeant. About 4 or 5 p.m. on the second day we 
came into Werchter. At the bottom of the street as we entered we 
saw about 30 German marines, who were in a position of being about 
to fire. They were about 200 metres off us. Beside the soldiers stood 
village women — six of them — at one side of the road, and on the 
opposite side stood six men. We heard the salvo, and saw the men fall. 
After that we fired from the side on which the men had stood and we 
made a turning movement, and the Germans went into a house and 
out of it into their trenches which were in a field some little distance 



121 

away. We came back into the village to continue our patrolling, and 
in another part of the village, near a field, we met the six women. 
They told us that they had buried their husbands in a dry ditch and 
thrown a little earth over them. They told us that the six men were 
their husbands. There were some children with them. It was difficult 
to get them to speak, they were crying so much. They were about 
the only families left in the village. 

Medical Student, Volunteer in Belgian Aemy. 
At the end of i^ugust I was on patrol duty with a corporal and three 
others exploring a wood by Capelle-au-Bois. At the moment the 
Belgian army was advancing. One of the soldiers was about 50 yards 
from me. He called out to me that there were two young girls hanging 
in a tree with their breasts cut. I looked round ; I saw the girls 
hanging about two feet from the ground, their hair hung down over 
their backs. They were naked ; their backs were towards me. I did 
not see any wounds myself in consequence. 

Belgian Soldier. 

At Capelle-au-Bois we had driven the Germans from the village. d 113 
After we had entered we saw, near a house, a peasant woman dead, 
as if she had been killed in coming from the yard at the back of the 
house. She was dressed as if going to leave the place and there were 
things packed up in the house. Close by, before the same house, we 
saw the body of a young girl of seventeen or nineteen. The blood was 
trickling down her arm. We had driven the Germans out that day. 
The house I speak of was one of several beyond the village where the 
Germans had passed in their retreat and where there had been no 
bombardment. 

On the road from Malines, towards the forts of Antwerp, on one 
occasion I saw a large number of country people being driven in front 
of the Germans. I v/as taking part in a patrol when I saw this. I was 
only about 80 metres off. 

Belgiajst Soldier. 

In the early part of September last as my regiment was following d 114 ■ 
the railway line on the outskirts of a wood at Capelle-au-Bois, we met 
a woman v/ho ran out of her house to us, and she told me in the presence 
of my comrades that German soldiers had on that day entered her 
house and had seized her daughter whose age she did not tell us — 
the mother herself being between 40 and 50 — and had forced the girl 
to undress, and several of the soldiers had then violated her one after 
the other, and while this was going on upstairs four soldiers had held 
the mother down by force to prevent her from going to her daughter's 
assistance, nearly strangling her in doing so. Then she cried out 
" Belgians " and the Germans took fright and ran away. I saw the 
mother afterwards telling her story to my officers though I could not 
hear her. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I saw, when we were guarding the railway at Capelle-au-Bois, a d 115 
carriage arriving at a gallop, the inside covered with blood, containing 
the two bodies, still warm, of small boys ; one could not say exactly 
what age, but almost eight years. The head of one of them was 
entirely smashed. A young man of about seventeen explained to me, 
in answer to my questions, that some German soldiers found the 
carriage which he was driving, and that they without sajang a single 
word, or even requiring any explanation, fired upon the two little boys 
inside. He himself hid benea.th the box, after having whipped up his 
horse which escaped at full gallop. 



122 • 

Musician iisr Belgian Army. 
d 116 Between the 10th and 15th of September I saw a boy's corpse in a 

carriage drawn by a horse which was carrying fugitives from Capelle-au- 
Bois towards Willebroeck. Tliis was at Ramsdonck near Willebroeck. 
There was another child's corpse in the carriage, covered by a rug. 
I did not see this second corpse, but one of my comrades, who speaks 
Flemish, spoke to the man driving the carriage, and told me afterwards 
that the man had informed him that there was another corpse in the 
carriage, and that both had been killed by the Germans at Capelle-au- 
Bois, I was told that there was an autopsy on the corpses at the 
military hospital at Willebroeck. For myself, I saw a bullet woimd 
in the forehead of the corpse which I saw. Other musicians saw the 
corpse or corpses, but I cannot say their names. 

Belgian Soldier. 
dll7 About the middle of September I was at Capelle-au-Bois. My 

battalion was on outpost duty. I saw a fire in an adjoining village, 
and heard a cart coming along the road about 800 metres away. I saw 
a German officer go forward and stop the cart. We were few in 
number, so could not go close, the Germans being in greater force. 
In this cart there was a manservant and two children — boy about seven 
and girl about six — behind this cart was another cart in which was a 
lady and about four children. The first cart not stopping at once, 
the Germans shot the horse. The two children in the first cart stood 
up, the Germans then stopped the second cart. The boy got down 
from the first cart, the mother (?) got down from the second cart and 
spoke to the officer. He pushed her away. The soldiers shot the 
boy — five or six shots fired together. The little girl in the cart was 
killed by the same shots. The mother picked up the dead bodies, 
put them in the second cart, and drove into the Belgian lines. I saw 
the bodies in the cart in our lines. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 118 In the beginning of September, about 11 a.m., I was in command 

of a small post about 200 yards in advance of my company. This was 
close to Nieuwenrode. The civilian inhabitants were turned out of 
there by the Germans. We saw them going off in carts. One cart 
came towards us with a man, a woman, and two children, a boy and a 
girl. The Germans fired on them ; I mean a small advance post did so. 
The boy v/as shot through the head ; he was about 10 years old. 
The little girl was shot in the cheek. The Germans {i.e., the outpost) 
came out of the building they were in and one pulled the girl by the 
hair from the cart and threw her on the ground. The man in charge 
stamped on the child's face, and as the parents told us after, called her 
a " Belgian brute." The child was killed. The parents brought both 
children into our lines. There were two other carts (with civilians) in 
the road at the same time, and I believe two others were wounded, two 
men, but I did not see them close. When the Germans fired we were 
about 800 yards away. The girl was about 9 years old. I don't 
know the names of the men with me. The children were taken to the 
Civil Hospital of Willebroeck, where all the company saw them. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 1 19 One day in the first days of the latter half of September, my regiment 

was at Ramsdonck, near Malines, and I was with my regiment there. 
We were encamped there during two days, and on one of those days — 
I think it was September 17th — I saw two children, one I should say 
about 8 years and one about 12 — ^they were a little boy and a little girl 
— I forget which was the elder, lying in a carriage which was driven 



123 

along the road. When I saw it, it had stopped. It was like a car used 
for carrjang stuff and it was open, but a covering was thrown across it. 
I saw the Belgian military doctor go up to the car and he undid the 
covering. I went over to look out of curiosity. Several other bands- 
men went over to look too. There are 38 of us, and I should say that 
certainly 15 of us went to look, but I cannot now remember the name 
of any particular one. I saw lying at the bottom of the car the two 
children. Their heads were covered with blood. They were dead. 
They were two peasant children. The driver told us that he had 
found the car with the two dead children in it on the road. My idea is 
that there had been other persons in the car and that they had fled. 

The Germans were still in the neighbourhood, I did not see any 
that day. We drove them some distance off the following day. The 
driver told us that he was taking the children to Willebroeck for a 
post-mortem. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On Thursday, the 24th September, there had been an engagement d 120 
at Willebroeck between the Germans and a few Belgian troops, and I 
afterwards assisted to bury some German soldiers who had been killed. 
I went along the canal to look for further corpses. 

At about 2.30, I saw a man put a pig on to a cart. As he was 
doing this, about eight or ten Uhlans came along the road towards 
him. The Germans shot at the man, and he jumped off the cart and 
ran av/ay, and as he ran he made signs to his wife to follow him. In the 
cart there were two children aged 11 and 15 respectively, a girl and a 
boy, and both of them were shot dead by the Germans. There v/as 
no fighting going on at this time. At the sound of the firing the horse 
took fright and bolted with the cart. The horse was afterwards 
stopped by some civilians, and the bodies of the two children were 
taken to the town hall and were there photographed. I saw the bodies 
at the town hall. I did not hear whose children they v/ere. I was 
told that the photographs were to be sent to America. I did not see 
either the father or the mother again. I cannot say whether there was 
an of&cer with the Uhlans. Shortly after this the Belgian soldiers 
came to the town. 

Belgian Refugee. 
My husband and I remained in Willebroeck until September 29th, ^ 121 
when we came to England. From the 1st of September onwards we 
had large numbers of refugees coming through. One afternoon in the 
first week of September I saw a woman with blood all down her dress. 
She was crying. I spoke to her. She told me that she came from 
Hanbeck * ; that she was fleeing from the Germans ; that she had a 
, small baby in her arms ; that a German came up to her and told her 
not to flee : that she continued and that the German then bayoneted 
her baby and tossed it up on the point of his bayonet ; that this had 
occurred the same morning I saw her. She was a peasant woman and 
I am sure she was telling the truth. She said she had brought the 
baby's body to Willebroeck, but I did not see it. About the ISth of 
September a carriage was brought to our house. The carriage con- 
tained two bodies. One was that of a girl aged about- eight and the 
other of a boy aged eight. Both had been shot in the head and both 
their heads were almost blown to pieces. The carriage was streaming 
with blood. The uncle of the two children, who lived at Humbeek, 
brought theabodies to make a declaration as to how the children died 
and to get a burial license. He said that he and the children's mother 
were taking the two children and five others were fleeing in the carriage ; 
that a German or Germans came up, put the muzzles of their rifles 
close to the two children's heads and killed them : that neither he, 
the mother, or the five other children were touched ; that the father 

* ? Humbeek. 



124 

of the children was a prisoner and compelled by the Germans to dig 
trenches. 

Belgiak Soldiee. 
d 122 On a day in the middle of September at Capelle-au-Bois, I saw 

in the front of a house, in the main road of the village along which 
my regiment was marching, the body of a girl of about 18 years of age. 
The body was quite naked except for some strips of clothing about her 
shoulder. Her clothing was all torn off her. She had been stabbed 
in the breasts with bayonet or sword and had evidently been ravished 
before she was killed. The Germans had left three hours before. They 
were retiring, at this point before us. The whole regiment and the 
captain saw the dead girl, 

Belgian Soldier. 

d 123 On or about the 17th August, while I was with my regiment passing 

Boisschot. through Boisschot, close to Aerschot, we were informed by some 
refugees that a young man (aged 20) and his father, who lived in 
Boisschot, had been shot by German soldiers (Uhlans) in the presence 
of the man's wife. I then saw the dead bodies of the young man and 
his father. I did not see the mother. I do not know the names of the 
people, but I was informed that they were civilians and had given no 
provocation whatever. 

Belgian Refugee. 

d 124 About three weeks after the beginning of the war the Germans 

came to Boisschot. It was a patrol of about 15 mounted German 
soldiers. These were the first Germans who came there. They were 
followed by a number of infantry. Our house is at the commencement 
of the village as one comes from the east side. I was standing before 
the door of my house when the Germans came ; I stood there about 
half an hour. I saw German soldiers going into the houses and 
dragging out aU the men. The men did not refuse ; the Germans did 
not point a revolver at them. They dragged out all the men old a,nd 
young. The old men they only took as far as Aerschot, two hours from 
Boisschot, and they shut them up there in the church. They came 
back the next day. One old man I know told me this. The young 
men did not come back. 

Later on, the same day, I was in the Groen Straat in Boisschot. 
I was running to the station by myself, when I saw an old man stand- 
ing in the yard before his house. I told him to run away with me. 
He said " t cannot come yet " ; he was standing alone in his yard, 
I knew him well. I was running past his house when I said this to 
him. I told him a German patrol was coming up the street ; I could 
hear the horses. It was about 300 metres behind me, I think. The 
house is at the end of the village ; open country is beside it. There 
is a wood about 25 metres beyond it on the same side of the road 
as his house, I ran into the wood and hid there. I saw the old man 
running across the road to the side opposite to that on which I was, 
and in the direction of the station. I heard two shots fired. After 
the second shot he fell backwards on the street. Half a minute after- 
wards the patrol rode by towards the station. They passed by the 
old man lying on the ground, but none of them dismounted or did 
anything to help him. Each of them had a gun. 

After they had passed, I crept out of the wood. I went up to 
the old man and stood a bit beside him. I spoke to him,*but he could 
not speak. I went back across the fields home. The house was 
empty. But there were two houses in the street in which there were 
still people. One of the houses belonged to a peasant woman. I 
went and told her and her husband what had happened to the old 
man. They came with a small cart drawn by a clog and we went to 
the spot where he lay, and we brought him on the cart to the station 



125 

at Heyst-op-den Berg. That is the station in the direction of which 
I had started running. 

When I had seen the German infantry soldiers earher that day 
taking the burghers with them,, they were taking them up to Kievit 
Straat towards the station of Boisschot on the road to Aerschot. I 
only saw five, they were walking in front of the soldiers. But I was 
told by the old men who came back the next day that 200 had been 
taken o£f that day. Since that day I have not seen my father. He is 
an agricultural labourer. He came home to dinner that day. We 
used to have dimier at 11.30. He went out again. The old men 
who came back told us that they had seen him in the church at Aerschot. 
He did not come back with them. Men between 16 and 50 or 55 were 
taken away and not let back. 

I saw my mother, brother and sister again at the station of Heyst- 
op-den-Berg. I saw the old man lying in a room there. He died while 
we M'ere there, I saw blood on his shirt, in the lower part of the chest on 
the left-hand side. I did not see the actual wound, 

Belgian Refugee. 

From the 23rd of August during this week I saw the dead body of d 125 
a baby a few weeks old, hanging by its neck to the handle of the front Hever. 
door of a cottage outside Hever. I do not know the name of the 
people. I was told by others that the Germans had taken the child 
from the mother's arms and hung it there, forcing her to watch till the 
baby was dead. 

On August 31st, I was in Hever one evening, and I saw a large 
band (150) of women and girls, and little children from two different 
communes ; they told me they had been driven by the Germans from 
Haecht and Wespelaer — a distance of many miles — arriving at Hever 
in the evening in an exhausted condition. 

There had been fighting all round our house for some days. I did 
not see the bodies of any civilians during the week I was at home. 

Young Civilian, 

On September 4th, 1914, I was in the village of Humbeek, a d 126 
prisoner in the hands of the Germans. It was an infantry regiment, Humbeek. 
but I did not notice the number. It was about 8 p.m., the sentry in 
charge of me came with three other soldiers. Three of the four held 
me while the fourth tore my right forearm with a rusty nail. Much 
blood came from the wound. On the following morning I managed 
to escape to Grimberghen, then to Laeken, and finally reached Brussels. 

The soldiers were in drink, but quite understood what they were 
doing. They laughed and appeared to think it was great pleasure. 
It was not pleasure for me. My arm was not treated at all by the 
Germans. I went into the Laeken Hospital. A doctor looked after 
me. He is a Brussels doctor. Laeken is a suburb of Brussels. The 
doctor did my arm up, and I went away in my cousin's automobile. 
My cousin is a doctor too. I left the same night for Antwerp. 

Note. — The barrister taking this deposition has made a note that he 
examined the arm and found a scar about six inches m length and also 
a smaller one beside it. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On September 5th, 1914, 1 saw my cousin.* I saw his right forearm. d 127 
It was bandaged. I took bandages off. The arm had been dressed 
with lode Tintura. The forearm was inflamed. There was a yellow 
suppuration. There were two cuts joined by suppuration, I could 
see that the two cuts were not made by a knife, but had been torn. The 
cuts were not parallel. The external of the two cuts was about seven 

* The last witness. 



126 

inches in length, the second was between four and five inches. My 
cousin's shirt was stuck to the wound by the suppuration. He told me 
how the wound had been caused. He said a German soldier had torn 
his arm with a rusty nail. The soldier had said " Let me see your 
arm," and then used the nail. I washed the forearm with alcohol to 
remove the excess of iodine and applied boracic acid lint a,nd a bandage. 
I did not see the arm again. 



d 128 
Schrieck. 



Peasant Proprietor. 
Three weeks before we left otu- home the German soldiers came to 
Heyst. They kept passing through — different regiments — none of 
them stayed there. I know nothing of any house -burning or shooting 
being done by the Germans in Heyst. Three or four days before 
we fled I went to a house beyond the village of Sclu-ieck, which is 
about half an hour from Guur, to fetch apples from a tree behind 
the house. On the way to the house I passed along a brick road. 
On the side of the road — the right-hand side — lay the body of a 
woman. I did not go up to it, but I could see it distinctly. I knew 
the woman — her name was de B . . . I know the husband. The 
people of the district told me the same day that she had been shot 
that day by German soldiers. I did not hear them say why. Her 
son took her body to the churchyard on his cart. 



Married Woman. 
d 129 I live at Wilsele, near Louvain, I remember Germans coming to 

Wilsele. q^u: village fkst about three weeks after war broke out. There were 
about 200 of them, and they were passing through. I know a man 
named F . . . ; he had fits nearly every day. One day there were 
about 200 infantry passing through. I saw F . . . a few yards from 
my house ; I had gone to a well to fetch some water. All the men 
were being taken to Louvain. F . . . was being taken along by 
about six Germans. He had his hands in his trouser pockets. I was 
about 20 metres away from him. About five minutes after I had 
first noticed F . . . He had a fit. He had then been taken by the 
Germans about 40 metres from the place where I first saw him. The 
Germans pushed him in the back with the butts of their rifles to make 
him get on. One of them said, " You have to go on." He answered 
that he could go no further, as he was exhausted. He was ordered 
to sit down in a ditch ; but he had hardly sat down when they said, 
" Are you going on, yes or no ? " He again said he could not. They 
pulled him to force him to get up — pushed him a few yards further 
into a field. He was standing up. One of the soldiers put his revolver 
to F . . .'s forehead, and shot him. The other Germans stood round 
and laughed. I was then about 40 metres away. The soldiers went 
away immediately, and I went to the spot and found the man dead. 



dlSO 

Exact 
locality 
unidenti- 
fiable. 



Plasterer. 
On the 23rd August I went out with two friends (names given) to 
see what we could see. About three hours out of Mahnes we were 
taken prisoners by a German patrol— an officer and six men — and 
marched off into a little wood of saplings where was a house. The 
officer spoke Flemish. He knocked at the door ; the peasant did 
not come. The officer ordered the soldiers to break down the door, 
which two of them did. The peasant came and asked what they 
were doing. The officer said he had not come quickly enough and 
that they had " trained up " plenty of others. His hands were tied 
behind his back and he was shot at once without a moment's delay. 
The wife came out with a little sucking child. She put the child 
down and sprang at the Germans like a lioness. She clawed their 



127 

faces. One of the soldiers took his rifle and struck her a tremendous 
blow with the butt on the head. She fell dead. Another took out 
liis bayonet and fixed it and thrust it through the child. He then 
put his rifle across his shoulder with the child upon it. Its little 
arms stretched out once or twice. The officer ordered the house to 
be set on fire and straw was obtained and it was done. The man 
and his wife and the child were thrown on the top of the straw. 

There were about 40 other peasant prisoners there also and the 
officer said, " I am doing this as a lesson and example to you. When 
a German tells you to do something the next time you will move 
more quickly." The regiment of Germans was the regim.ent of 
ilussars with cross bones and a death's head on the cap. 

Engineer. 

I am an engineer by profession, but when the war started I volun- d 131 
teered for active service and became a " corporal mitrailieur " (corporal 
of a machine gun), and was attached to an armoured automobile. 

In the course of my duties I motored with the car through numerous 
villages in Belgium through which the German Army had passed. 
Most Belgian villages have wells for the water-supply, and I and my 
companions in the car looked into the wells in the villages we passed 
through. 

In nmnerous instances we saw dead bodies of Belgian civilians 
in the wells — men, women, and children. I remember particularly 
seeing dead bodies in the villages of Schrieck, Linden, Tremeloo, 
a.nd in the environs of Betecom, All the villages in which we saw 
dead bodies in the wells showed many signs of the enemy's presence 
and very many houses were biirnt. 

I cannot say how many dead bodies we found in the wells, because 
we v»'ere on active service and if we saw four or five v/e did not stop 
to count. We only stopped long enough in a village to ascertain 
that there were dead bodies in the well. 

I cannot say whether these people were thrown in alive, but I 
noticed one dead body — that of a man — with his watch still in his 
pocket. I also sav/ dead bodies of women with children in their arms. 

Belgian Soldier. 

My regiment was going from Waelhem to Hofstade. We were d 132 
going to engage the Germans. We left Waelhem on August 25th. 
The same morning I saw on the road a woman lying on the ground 
dead, with a bayonet stab in her right breast. There were houses 
quite near. The Germans had been on that road that morning. 
They had been driven back by our Carabineers. An old woman on 
the spot said that the woman had been killed by a German soldier's 
bayonet as she was running away. 

Note. — Spoken to by four other witnesses. 

Belgian Soldier. 
Between Malines and Louvain we saw a woman 30 to 35 years d 133 
of age standing up to her neck in a cesspool of filth into which she 
told us she had been thrown by German soldiers — for what reason 
she did not say. She was unable to extricate herself and we (I and 
one other) helped her out. She was in a pitiable condition and told 
us she had been violated by five or six German soldiers immediately 
before being thrown into the pool — a full hour she had remained in 
the pool. There were 10 men in the patrol, all of whom saw the 
woman and heard her story. In the same district I saw the dead 
body of a child about eight months old with both hands cut off, and 
it must have been recently done because the stumps were covered 
with congealed blood. 



Belgian Soldier. 

d 134 During a battle which was taking place between Malines and 

Louvain, a^bout the 20th to 25th of August, I was going with my 
regiment along the main route. We halted to rest for a few minutes 
by the side of the road, after making a detour on leaving Malines. 
We stayed there about half an hour in all, and I went to a house at 
the side of the road to look for some water to drink. The house had 
been burnt, only the walls standing — rit was not detached. There v/as 
the remains of a table there ; it had been partly burnt. On it was 
the body of a dead child of 2 or 3 years old ; it was partly burnt. 
Both hands and both feet had been cut off ; the hands at the wrist 
and the feet at the ankle. I only saw it for a moment because an 
officer came to fetch me and told me not to drink any water for fear it 
was poisoned. A hundred metres further on there was the body of 
an old woman. I do not know how she was killed, but the neighbours 
said it was done by German soldiers because she would not let them 
enter her house. I cannot tell whether the child's hands and feet 
were cut off before or after it had been burnt, or whether it had been 
burnt to death. Nor can I say whether it had been born with or 
without hands or feet. 

Belgian Soldier. 

d 135 At Schepelaer on 24th or 25th of August last I was doing patrol 

duty for my regiment, the Germans being in possession of the village, 
and I was sent to see what they were doing. I got to within 50 j'ards 
of the German troops, and I and my comrades (12 in all) opened fire 
on them. They replied and my regiment coming up drove them out 
of the village which we then occupied for three days. 

Five or six girls in the village complained to me that they had 

themselves been outraged by German soldiers. I do not laiow their 

names or where they lived, but Corporal vd . . . E . . . of my 

• company • wrote their names down in a book. I left him fighting 

when I was wounded. 

The girls were being outraged by German soldiers on the roadside 
as we came up. I knew this because immediately we surprised the 
Germans I saw girls run awaj^ from among the German soldiers 
towards Malines passing through our lines, and as they passed they 
told me what had happened. I saw blood on their skirts and legs 
for they wore short skirts, being apparently from 14 to 16 years of 
age, and their blouses were torn, exposing the bosom. The outrages 
must have been witnessed by men of the village who were held 
prisoners by the German soldiers, and were standing among the 
Germans who used them as shields, firing from behind them, the 
villagers being themselves unarmed. 

The girls complained that they were outraged successively by the 
Germans — one coming forward as soon as another had left her. 

Belgian Soldier. 
d 136 I was at Malines on the 26th of August. Early in the morning 

I was making a reconnaissance, searching the houses to see if there 
were any Germans there. I had four private soldiers with me. _ On 
the road from Haecht to Malines we entered a house outside Malines, 
i.e. after having passed the town of Mahnes. We found a peasant 
woman of 60 to 70 years of age, dead. She was cold, and a boy of 
15 or 16. The woman had her breast cut off. There was a very 
large quantity of blood on the floor and she had evidently bled to 
death. She was nude from head to waist. There were no other 
woimds that I could see. I did not move the body ; I only touched 
it to see if it was warm or cold. From the nature of the wound I 
should say it was done by a bayonet and not by a sabre. It was a 



129 

house standing bj' itself, and the nearest house Avas about 10 metres 
away. The boy had a bayonet wound in or near to his breast. The 
blood had flowed out over his waistcoat. The house was on a side 
road, 40 or 50 yards from the main road, and I reported the occurrence 
to a gendarme at the corner of the main road. There was no one 
else at the house and I do not know if there were any other people 
living there or whether they had taken any men from the house 
prisoners. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I do not remember the date, but I think it was at the end of August d 137 
or beginning of September. I was in the rear guard, endeavouring 
to hinder the advance of the Germans while the Belgian army retreated. 
It was near Aerschot. The Germans had been there some days and 
had opened the sluices and inundated the ground. To escape we 
had to go through the water and make a detour. While doing so 
and crawling along a ditch we came across five, six, or seven women. 
I did not stop to count them. They were in the ditch. We had to 
climb over them. They were dead. Their clothes had been torn, 
partly torn off, and pulled up over their bodies, as if they had been 
violated. I cannot say how they had been all killed, but one or two 
had their throats cut and one or two had their breasts half cut off. 
The breasts were hanging. It was easy to see — the front was all 
open, and someone had pulled down the petticoat a little off the head 
as if to see what had happened. 

Belgian Soldier, 
It was betAveen Hofstacle and Sempst. I was on patrol. I saw a d 138 
young woman crying at the door of a house. I asked her what was 
the matter. She said that five Germans had taken her husband and 
her brother-in-law prisoners to Brussels. Going out of the town, 
I took with me the young woman, and we found the bodies of the 
husband and brother-in-law, still warm, lying on the road near the 
town. They were both quite dead. Three Germans ran away from 
the spot. I shot one of the Germans. 

Belgian Soldier. 
On or about the 6th September we left Antwerp for Aerschot, d 139 
and on the road near Aerschot I saw a round well. I saw that the 
bodies of four people were in the well, namely, those of a man, a 
woman, and two children ; and on the well there had been chalked 
some German words, which I was informed meant that the people 
in the well were being washed, and had to be left there. 

Belgian Soldier. 

Between Aerschot and Putte I was shoAvn the place where a girl dlUT 
of 17 had been interred after having been violated before her parents' 
eyes. I was v/ith my company and the brother of the girl, a boy of 
14 or 15, pointed it out to several of my comrades. The village was 
completely burnt except the church. Nearly all the inhabitants had 
gone. He told me they had placed the father and mother and seven 
children against the wall and some of the soldiers kept them there 
with their revolvers while it was done. I did not know whether 
they were Uhlans or infantry ; they said " Germans." He did nof 
say how many German soldiers there were. But he said three of 
them raped her and then killed her and buried her. I am pretty 
sure he was speaking the truth . My lieutenant told the whole company 
the same story the same evening, and I told him I had seen the place. 



ei 



130 

In the same village a young woman of, I should think, 23 or 24 
told several of us that evening that three Germans had raped her 
and that she thought she was very fortunate to have escaped with 
her life. I had a note-book in which I had written down all these 
incidents with the dates, but I lost my note-book at the Yser, between 
Pixmude and Ramsoapelle. 



LOUVAra 

Belgian Refugee, 

The Germans pillaged empty houses while in occupation of Louvain, 
but did nothing worse than that up to 25th August. They had taken 
up their quarters in private houses in the centre of the town where 
they massed their forces. Some of their men had bayonets with 
one saw edge, and were able by means of them to get into the houses 
by sawing panels out of the street door. 

On Tuesday, the 25th August, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the 
alarm was sounded all through the tov/n, and the German troops 
left their cantonments in great haste. Meanwhile the German Police 
Guard, which was composed of 21 men, and had been stationed at 
the Convent of the Peres Pie, No. 119, Rue de la Station, as well as 
a few men lodging in the houses of some private residents in the 
same street, remained at their post. Guns were booming in the 
neighbourhood, and the noise of mitrailleuse and rifle firing were 
plainly audible. In the direction of Herent the light of fires could 
be seen. About 8 o'clock the Rue de la Station was the scene of a 
stampede of horses and baggage wagons, some of which were over- 
turned. A smart burst of rifle fire occurred at this moment. This 
came from the German police guard in the Rue de la Station, who, 
seeing troops arrive in disorder, thought that it was the enemy. 
(Another proof of their mistake is that later during the same night a 
group of German soldiers under the command of an officer got into 
a shop belonging to the F . . .'s and under the guard of their nephew, 
B . . ., and told him, pointing their revolvers at him, to hide them 
in the cellar. A few hours afterwards, hearing troops passing, they 
compelled him to go to see if it was the French or the Germans, and 
when they learnt that it was the Germans, they called out : " Then 
we are safe,'.' and rejoined their compatriots.) I took refuge in my 
cellar with my mother and my servants. My cellars look out on 
to my garden, and I could not tell from this point what was going on 
in the street. Shortly afterwards fires lighted up in the direction of 
the Law Courts and the St. Martin Barracks. I could see them from 
my garden. About 10 o'clock in the evening Place de la Station and 
several houses on the odd side of the Rue de la Station took fire as 
well. The fires were lit up afresh by explosions caused by incendiary 
bombs thrown into the houses by the soldiers. Meanwhile an incessant 
rifle fire was kept up on the windows of the houses and on people 
trying to escape from their burning houses. (This was actually seen 
by a friend and myself in the Rue de la Station and the Rue de la 
Cuiller.) In their efforts to escape the flames the inhabitants climbed 
the walls. I, my mother and my servants had to do the same, and 
we took refuge at A . . .'s, whose cellars are vaulted and therefore 
afforded us a better protection than mine. A little later we withdrew 
to A . . .'s stables, where about 30 people, who had got there by 
climbing the garden walls, were to be found. Some of these poor 
wretolies had had to clifiib 20 walls. A ring came at the bell. We 



131 

opened the door. Several civilians finng themselves under the porch. 
The Germans were tiring upon them from the street. 

From time to time the fires in the Rue de la Station spread and 
approached one another, and we were compelled to put on v/oollen 
wraps soaked in water to prevent ourselves from being burnt by the 
sparks. Things went on hke this all the night. Every moment new 
fires were lighting up, accompanied by explosions. About the middle 
of the night I heard a knock at the outer door of the stable which led 
into a little street, and I heard a woman's voice crying for help. I 
opened the door, and just as I was going to let her in a rifle shot fired 
from the street by a German soldier rang out, and the woman fell 
dead at my feet. About 9 o'clock in the morning things got quieter, 
and we took the opportunity of venturing into the street. A German 
soldier, who was carrying a silver pyx and anj^ number of boxes of 
cigars, told us that we were to go to the station, where trains would 
be waiting for us. When we got to the Place de la Station we saw 
in the Square seven or eight dead bodies of murdered civilians. Not 
a single house in the pla.ce was standing. The ^^hole row of houses 
behind the station at Blauwput was burned. After being driven 
hither and thither interminably by officers who treated us roughly 
and insulted us throughout, we were brutally divided, I from my 
mother, G . . . and liis two elder sons from his wife and his tvv'O 
younger children, by an officer who threatened us with his revolver. 
My manservant, who was carrying my bag and his 0"wn, was 
compelled to leave them in the charge of an oificer. This officer 
searched him, and finding on him shares, money, and a savings bank 
book to the total value of 7,805 francs, took them away from him in 
my presence, giving him a receipt for 7,700 francs, signed " Von 
Frischow, Commanding the 90th Regiment of Infantry." I. hold this 
receipt, and it is at the disposal of the authorities. We were then 
distributed between different bodies of troops, who marched off in 
the direction of Herent. We marched in line in front of my mother 
and Madame G . . . and other ladies from the towTi, who were 
standing in a group in the tramway shelter, crying and stretching 
out their hands towards us. We were forbidden to ajpproach 
them. 

From this time forth the German soldiers, and especially their 
officers, never ceased to maltreat us and annoy us in every possible 
way. We were in their power to the number of 77 inhabitants of 
Louvain — amongst us were [a number of names of persons of good 
standing]. The officers and soldiers told us that we had been taken 
prisoners because civilians had fired upon the troops. Monsieur 
G . . . was sent on a quarter of an hour ahead to warn the people 
of the villages that if a shot was fired we should all be shot ourselves. 
We found the village of Herent in flames, so much so that we had 
to quicken up to prevent ourselves from being suffocated and burnt 
up by the flames in the middle of the road. Half-burnt corpses of 
civilians were lying in front of the houses. We were taken into 
a meadow beyond the village, and there the troops regaled themselves 
with soup, but offered us none. It was between 12 a^nd 1 o'clock. 
During the halt the soldiers stole cattle and slaughtered them where 
they stood. They put the carcases on their camp kitchens and took 
them of!. Firing started on our left, and we were told that it was 
civilians firing, and that we were going to be shot. The truth is that 
it was the Germans themselves who were firing to frighten us. There 
Avas not a single ci\nlian in the neighbourhood. Shortly afterwards 
we proceeded on our march to Mahnes. We were insulted and 
threatened by ail the troops who were blocking up the road from 
Louvain to Campenhout. We were called " droves of pigs " (Schweine- 
bande), " traitors," " murderers," " cowardly soldiers in civihan 



132 

clothes," &c., and the officers were worse than the men. They all 
avowed that civilians had fired on the troops — it seemed as if they 
had been ordered to say so — and that 3,000 rifles had been found in a 
church at Louvain, and that shots had been fired from Red Cross 
ambulances on the Germans. 

We were next taken into another meadow, and there the troops 
rested. Our hands were tied behind our backs. Monsieur G . . ., 
who had not understood what the Germans wished him to do, was 
compelled to kneel by an officer threatening iiim v/ith his revolver. 
We then had to walk behind the German flag between files of soldiers 
who were said to be the execution squad. We got to Campenhout 
about 7, and there we were locked into the church with all the male 
population of the village. Some priests had joined oiu" number. We 
had had nothing to eat nor drink since the evening of the day before. 
A few compassionate soldiers gave us water to drink, but no officer 
took the trouble to see that we were fed. We spent the night on 
chairs, under the guard of an infantry picket. 

In the morning a priest was sent up to the altar, and we were told 
that if T>^e wished to confess we could do so, because the hour of our 
execution had come. By 5 o'clock a list was taken of the 77 inhabi- 
ta,nts of Louvain, and I received a safe conduct allowing us to return 
there. I was the only one who could speak German, and it is for this 
reason that the said conduct was entrusted to me. We had hardly 
started before we were stopped by some sentinels, who took us into 
the presence of the Brigade General. He handed us over to some 
other soldiers, who were told to take us to the next post. While we 
were going there a military butcher liit me a violent blow in the back 
Vv'ith the flat of his laiife ; a wa.gon man hit one of the prisoners with 
his whip, and Monsieur G . . . was hit by a stone in the back. When 
we got to the post we v/ere greeted by two officers whose brutality 
was incredible. They accused us of being soldiers out of uniform. 
When I told them that we were decent people, and that amongst us 
were two Belgian officers on the retired list, and that one of these 
had a son serving in the Belgian cavalry, he told us that all thi^ee of 
them were just as big swine as I was myself. We were told that we 
could not go on to Louvain because the town was going to be razed 
to the ground, but that we should be taken to Antwerp ; so we retraced 
our steps, always under the escort of a group of soldiers. Men, women 
and children had joined our number from the neighbouring villages, 
and we formed a group of more than 200 people. 

We were taken to the advanced posts of the German Army in the 
direction of Malines, and there we were left to our fate, being told 
that we had better get into Malines as quickly as possible and keep 
together, because if not, those who separated from the mass would 
be fired on. Four hours after we arrived at Malines the bombardment 
of the town began. During the whole time of our detention we had 
nothing to eat but a crust of bread which was given us by a com- 
passionate soldier. 

Oiu" rate of travelling was throughout extremely fast, and was 
accelerated by blows from the butt end of a rifle, and that, although 
we had amongst us elderly men, such as Monsieur M . . ., who is 75. 



Belgian Refugee. 
I remained in Louvain because I knew German}^ well, and I must 
confess I was a friend of German Ktdtur. I thought it was impossible 
that we should experience any harm from German soldiers. We 
might have to pay, and to give Einquartierimg ; but matters would be 
conducted in an orderly fashion, because everything in Germany goes 
by rule. And also, I believed in the theories of international law. 



133 

that non-combatants had to be respected. But my experience was 
just the contrarj^ 

When the Germans came to Louvain, the very day of the battle, 
the Belgian Artillery ceased to fire at the moment it became dangerous 
for the town, and then, some minutes afterwards, the first German 
patrol entered the city. No resistance was offered. The Germans 
went to the town hall, and I think an hom* later, the whole army went 
through the city in order, and continued to pass the whole afternoon. 
But in the evening there came other troops and they had to sleep in 
the city. And yet, that same evening, those troops plundered a 
number of hoiises. To be precise the house of Professor G . . ., a 
very prominent neurologist, known and esteemed in every German 
university, where his papers and instruments were, was entered. Kis 
papers were actually torn to shreds, and his scientific instruments 
broken to pieces, an act of sheer wantonness. 

Similar things happened at other houses. Pictures were slashed 
with bayonets ; and furniture destroyed ; acts which would have 
disgraced a brute beast were performed. Other things happened the 
same night, near to Louvain, in a little farm. A girl was violated, 
having been forcibly torn from her father and mother. Upon her 
resisting she was twice bayoneted. I saw the girl with my own 
eyes. 

The whole v/eek German troops passed through Louvain, and 
plundered the cellars systematically. They made requisitions in such 
proportions that it became impossible for the citizens to get anjd^hing 
to eat. The great question, then, is v^'hether the citizens of Louva,in 
did or did not shoot on the German troops, and so provoke reprisals. 
For my part, I know ; fhst, that the Minister, Beviyer, wrote in the 
first week of the war to every Belgian municipality, exposing very 
clearly the principle that only soldiers were allowed to fight. The 
" Vingtieme Sieele," known as " organe officieux " of the Government, 
stated that, if anyone wished to defend his country, he had to join the. 
arm3^ Every act of hostility on the part of isolated individuals was 
useless and would have the worst consequences. 

Secondly, the day before the Germans entered Louvain, the munici- 
pality reminded the citizens of those principles, by way of notices 
posted in the town ; and ordered that all weapons should be given 

Thirdly, the bom-geoisie was very anxious, and hoped that nobody 
would give a pretext for the use of force. On the evening of the 
25th August, I know certainly that from my own house nobody in- 
dulged in any provocative action. We were actually taking our dinner 
in the greatest peace, and never thinking of the things which were 
about to happen, and I know that the same is true of many other 
houses in oxn: neighbourhood. Nevertheless, some minutes after 
8 o'clock, as we were taking our coffee after dinner, there suddenly 
began a fusillade in the street. Soon after, the bullets began to rain 
against our house. As far as I could tell by the sound, artillery was 
being used. We took refuge in a room looking on the back garden 
and remained there the whole night. Thi'ee times the firing started 
afresh, and meanwiiile we saw on every side the reflection of the fire 
that was devastating the city. 

The German fm-y continued on the following day, with only short 
intervals. I was able to speak with some serious persons of Louvain 
that day. Nobody knew of definite facts of hostility on the part of 
the people, but it is certain that a great number of innocent citizens 
were shot while flying from the burning houses, or smothered in the 
cellars by the smoke of the burning. 

The houses were set on fire with highly inflammable substances 
which had been prepared beforehand. The whole daj^ the soldiers 



134 

went and came through the streets, saying, " Man * hat gesohossen," 
but it seems that the shots came from the soldiers themselves, I 
mj^self saw a soldier going through the streets shooting peacefully 
in the air. 

At certain spots citizens were arrested, compelled to go with the 
troops. A number were shot, others were taken as prisoners ; others 
were released — everything without the least reason. 

The soldiers were especially enraged against the priests. They 
accused them of inciting the people to resistance ; while, as a matter 
of fact, none of us did a^nything of the kind. On the contrary, the 
parish priests had counselled their parishioners to respect the orders 
given by the Minister of the Municipality. 

On the morning of the 27th, orders came that every one had to 
leave the city, which was to 'be razed to the ground. So we went, 
first to the station, to which we had been ordered to go. But, when 
we reached the station, we were ordered afresh to take the road to 
Tirlemont. Soldiers lined the road, their muskets aimed at us, and 
we were obliged to hold our hands up. I was accompanied by my 
aged mother. At half an hour's journey from Louvain we came upon 
a German encampment, A soldier came up to me, calling me 
" Schwartzer- Teufel," and seizing me roughly by the arm, pushed 
me into a dirty little stable. Here I found some twenty other priests 
and persons in the service of the Church from Louvain. We were 
told by the soldiers that we were to be shot. Some immediately began 
to make their last confessions to their comperes. I could scarcely 
realise what had happened. In the meantime my mother had sought 
out a German officer and prayed him that he should at least not allow 
me to be put to death without any enquiry. The officer came to the 
stable and repeated the accusation that we had been inciting the 
population — I need hardly say, a groundless charge. I told him I 
was a professor of the University, and in my whole life had never 
said a word to any one of the Louvain " population." Also I said I 
' knew personally a number of professors in German Universities, and 
I gave him the names of some of them with whom I was friendly. I 
told him that these gentlemen would perhaps be somewhat astonished 
when they should hear of my death. Nevertheless, I said, " Do as 
you like." 

The officer seemed to reflect a moment, and then suddenly said, 
" Alle frei." There was still a moment of difficulty, because the 
soldiers apparently did not wish to understand this order, but at 
length, we were allowed to go. The officer had still to intervene, 
until we had quitted the camp. 

The worst was over. We — my mother and I — had still to walk 
this and the following day about twenty miles before v/e could find 
a peasant cart. We had to carry the few belongings we were able 
to take away, and to walk in the heavy rain. We could find nothing 
to eat, but other people were yet more unfortunate than we. I saw 
ladies of the best society walking in the same plight, without hats 
and almost in their night-dresses. Sick persons, too, dragged them- 
selves along, or were carried in wheelbarrows. Thousands of people 
Were obliged to sleep in Tirlemont on the chm-ch pavements. We 
found a little room to sleep in, 

I could give other and more circumstantial details with regard 
to my friends and colleagues still in Belgium, but it would be indiscreet 
in the circumstances as it might expose them to the attentions of the 
Germans, 

Only one fact I think must be recorded. An old man of ninety, 
a figure in the world of Art, respected b}^ all, and a personal friend of 
my own, had lain dangerously ill for some months in his house on the 
* " They have been shooting." 



135 

outskirts of Louvain. Surely no provocation came from him or his 
old wife who was nursing him. Nevertheless, his house was set on 
fire, and the soldiers took the poor old man on his mattress and pitched 
him into the garden. They left him lying there all night. Only on the 
following day could a friend bring him to the hospital, where he died 
soon afterwards. 

Belgian Refugee — Man of Independent Means. 

On or about the 19th August the Germans entered Louvain. I had 9 3 
some German soldiers in my house, and none of them had done any- 
thing that was wrong. They were with me a week. A German ofHcer 
(I do not know his name or regiment) who had received hospitality 
from me told me that on the route to Louvain he had seen things done 
by German soldiers which had made his heart bleed. He said, " I saw 
a poor woman with two little cliildren in her arms and watching her own 
house burning. I am a father myself, and I cannot bear this. It is 
not war ; it is butchery." The officer spoke of the happenings at 
Aerschot, which is about three miles from Louvain.* 
)^- On the 25th August I had come to my house from Station Street 
when I heard the cry " Alarm, two soldiers on horseback." A new 
regiment had come to the toAvn, and had taken possession of the houses. 
When I heard this cry I went indoors. 

Between 6.30 and 7 p.m. I heard the sound of shooting. I then sa.id 
to m;y wife, " Let us make ourselves ready and go into the garden. 
Get a mattress down." The shooting was so loud that I concluded 
that the French soldiers had arrived. We then went into our garden. 
I afterwards went back to the house, and saw that the houses on the 
opposite side of the road were in flames. I then saw a very bright light ; 
this came from a chateau. Within half an hour the whole chateau was 
in flames, and the light was so great that one could read a newspaper 
in the garden. 

I went into the pigeon loft in my back garden, and remained there 
with my wife until the next morning. I did not hear any cries during 
the night. My garden is a long way from the street. 

Next morning (27th August) I went into my house and then heard 
the moans and cries of a young woman, one of my neighbours, and she 
cried, " Oh, come and save me." I answered, "I cannot save myself, 
go and hide." 

Between 12 and 1 o'clock I saw people getting over the walls, 
fleeing from burning houses, and trying to get to my garden. At that 
moment four German soldiers and an under-offlcer, belonging to the 
165th Regiment, came and arrested me, and a revolver was placed 
against my cheek. I had no arms, never having possessed any. I was 
informed that the Burgomaster had been taken as hostage, and that wo 
were not to do anything. I was then taken to the Station Place, which 
is near my house. I only had slippers on, and no hat or waistcoat. 
On the way there soldiers kicked me and hit me with the butt ends of 
their rifles, and shouted " Oh, you swine ; another one that shot at us ; 
you swine." My hands were tied behind my back with a cord, and 
when I cried, " My God, you are hurting me," a soldier spat at me. 

An officer came up and went through my pockets. He took my 
purse and put it in his pocket, also my keys ; and a little silver pen 
knife which was attacked to the kej^s. He also took out my watch, 
and seeing that it bore some initials (my own) he put it back in my 
pocket. I could quite easily recognise a German officer, his dress is 
quite different from that of a soldier, and he does not wea^v a helmet. 
He is rather dressed hke an English officer. 

The cord on my wrists hurt me very much, and each time I turned 
my head in pain the soldiers hissed at me. I was then placed on the 
* It is in fact about eight miles. 



136 

top of an ammunition wagon. As they were putting me on the wagon 
I shpped off, and one of the soldiers then struck me a terrifie blow in 
my private parts, and I fainted. 

My wife was kept a prisoner on the other side of the station, and 
as I was being taken away on the wagon she waved her hand to me. 
The women had been separated from the men. I was taken in the 
wagon by the canal to the Chaussee de Malines. I there saw that 
my own house was on fire. I did not see any shooting at that time. 

When we got a little further along the Chaussee de Malines I was 
told to come down from the wagon ; and the cord on my wrists was 
cut, and I was placed with the other prisoners. There were about 
500 prisoners. We were made to walk through fields until midnight. 
The villages of Herent, Thildonck, and Campenhout were all on fire, 
ti.nd the flames could be seen 10,000 yards away. We were made to 
sleep in a field ; it was raining all the time. At 3 o'clock we were again 
raade to march, and we continued to march until 3 p.m. without 
Slaving anything to eat or drink. I had had nothing to eat since I felt 
Louvain. At 4 o'clock we reached the church at Rotselaer, and were 
sent inside. Inside the church there were about 1,500 prisoners. 
There were some children only a month old. There was also an old 
man aged 75 on crutches. We were all placed together. There we 
were given a drop of water, but nothing to eat.- We v/ere given buckets 
of water, and had to use our hands to drink from. 

I understood from the prisoners in the church that all the people 
of Rotselaer were made to leave their houses on the pretext that they 
were in danger of bombardment, and the Germans stated that they 
were placed in the church for security. While all these people were in 
the church the Germans robbed the houses and then burned the villages. 
The Germans have something shaped like a pear with a four-cornered 
end like aluminium, which is thrown inside a house, and it explodes, 
and the house catches fire. I saw one of these in the hands of a German 
soldier, and saw him throw it into a house on the way from Rotselaer 
to Wespelaer. In less than a minute the house took fire. Between 
Rotselaer and Wespelaer I saw, in the space of about 3,000 metres, 
about 50 bodies mingled vdth bodies of dead animals ; of the 50 bodies 
some were naked and carbonised and unrecognisable and some had 
been shot. 

Twenty thousand of the prisoners were then taken by the Chaussee 
d'Aerschot on the way to Aerschot, and from there we were taken 
back to Louvain on foot. On the way we rested a moment. The 
old clergyman of Rotselaer, a man 86 years of age, spoke to the officer 
of the regiment : " Mr. Officer, what you are doing now is a cowardly 
act. My people did no harm, and if you want a victim, kill me. I have 
received my soul from God, and I give up my soul to God's keeping." 
The German soldiers then took hold of the clergyman by the neck 
and took him away. Some Germans picked mud from the ground and 
threw it in his face. I never saw him again. 

We then went to Louvain, and had to cross the Rue du Canal where 
there had been no fighting. The Fish Market, the Place Marguerite, 
the Cathedral of St. Peters, and other places were on fire. We were 
then made to stand in the Grand' Place, at Louvain. The heat of the 
burning houses was so great that the prisoners huddled together to get 
away from it. 

We were then made to cross Station Street, which is about 1,000 
yards long. The houses were all burning, and there were even flames 
in the street, which we had to jump across. During all this time we 
were closely guarded by German soldiers, who threatened to kill us if 
we looked from side to side. I did not see any persons being killed 
then. 

All the prisoners were then taken to the station and placed in horse 



137 

trucks, in which the horse dung had not been taken away. We were 
crowded together, there being nearly a hundred persons, men, women 
and chiklren, in each wagon. We were kept there from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. 
the following day, and then we left for Cologne. In my wagon there 
was an elderly woman and her husband and eight cbJldren. We 
arrived at Aix la Chapelle. There the German people shouted at us. 
At Durren, between Aix la Chapelle and Cologne, 4,000 German people 
crowded round. I turned round to the old woman with eight children, 
and said : " Do these people think we are prisoners ? Show them one 
of your little children at the window." This child was a month old, 
and naked. When the child was shown at the window a hvish came 
over the crowd. We went to Cologne and then returned to Durren ; 
then back to Cologne and remained for one night. We had nothing 
to eat — not even the child one month old. We were put into the 
wagons at 8 o'clock in the evening and remained in the same wagons 
until midnight of the following day, when Ave arrived at Cologne. We 
were not allowed to get out of the wagons and had to obey the calls 
of nature in the wagons ; and they were all covered with dirt and filth. 
We were crushed together, and had no lights. We left Cologne, and 
then were made to get out at a place called German Cologne and were 
put in an amusement place called Luna Park. We were there put in 
different places, and I slept in the joy wheel. There the soldiers did 
all they could to frighten us — they loaded their guns and pointed them 
at us ; they put out the lights. The men, women and children were all 
together and two men went mad. One, a baker from Lou vain, living 
in front of St. Joseph's Church, the other a shoemaker, who committed 
suicide. On the following day we were given a loaf of bread among 
every 10 persons, and a bucket of water. Some of the people even 
put their heads in the water. We had then been 2|- days without food. 

On the following day we were taken to the station. There we were 
told that food would be given to the women and children, and that the 
men could drink as much water as possible. We were placed in a train 
composed of third and fourth classes, and the train started on its 
journey to Belgium. On the whole of the way I only saw about 50 
people ; the whole country was deserted. 

On the outside of the wagons of the train which took us to Germany 
were chalked the words : " Antwerp taken ; Belfort taken ; 20,000 
prisoners." The 20,000 prisoners were the men, women and children 
taken from the various towns, and were all unarmed civilians. We 
were not actually exhibited in Cologne. We did not return in the 
horse wagons, but were placed in open third and fourth class carriages. 
The journey to Brussels occupied three days, and we had nothing to eat 
during the whole of that time. At Liege, hov/ever, the Belgians threw 
bread, cakes, and biscuits to the people in the train. 

When I arrived at Brussels I asked some Germans if it was not 
possible to give some bread to the women who were almost dying of 
hunger. Some bread was then fetched, but this was blue moulded 
and dirtj^ as if taken from some refuse heap. 

When at St. Just I asked a man who was standing near the train 
for some food, and the police then brought some food and drink. 

We were in all travelling for eight days in the train. During all 
this time we had only been given one loaf to each 10 persons. 

The Germans announced that the women and children were going 
to be separated from the men, and that the people were not to be 
anxious about it. The women stopped at Brussels, and the men were 
taken to Schaerbeek, a suburb of Brussels. There we had to come out 
of the train. We were then taken to Herent, Vilvorde, and then to 
Sempst. There we were told that we were at liberty. After a march 
of about half an hour I and the other men were again captured by the 
Germans, and kept for about an hour. It was then about midnight. 



138 

We were then told to go back to our own houses. I asked if I might 
go back to Lou vain, and was informed that " If you go back that way 
we will kill j^ou. You have to go that way " — and the soldier pointed 
towards Malines. This was the night after the bombardment of Mahnes. 

Married Woman, Wife of previous Witness. 
e 4 On the 26th August I was in my house. At 8 p.m. the German 

soldiers arrived and commenced firing. I saw the soldiers, but could 
not tell what regiment they belonged to. I then went into the cellar. 
After a little time I looked out of the window, and then I heard some 
moans. The sounds came from the street, and were caused by people 
(civilians) who had been shot. As it was dark I could not see the 
people who were on the ground. 

I then saw that the houses opposite had been put on fire, I went 
upstairs with my husband, and maid, and each of us took a mattress. 
We then went into our back garden, where there was a pigeon cote. 
I stayed all night in this place. 

On the next day (Wednesday) some German soldiers broke open 
the door of our house, and threw something into it, and the house at 
once caught fire. Five German soldiers then came into my garden 
and one of them levelled his rifle at me. I begged him not to shoot. 
He did not shoot me. I was then taken prisoner, with my husband and 
my maid. Other people were also taken prisoners, and the men were 
separated from the women, and we had to go in front of the soldiers, 
holding our hands above our heads. All the ladies who lived in the 
Boulevard — both ill and well — were taken prisoners. One of them, 
an old lady of 85, who could scarcely walk, was dragged from her 
cellar, with her maid. 

We were all taken to a place in front of the station, and had to 
stand in a group. At first I could not see my husband, but I after- 
wards saw a wagon on the other side of the Station Place, and saw my^ 
husband, who was bound to it by cords. (The traces of the cord 
on his wrists can be seen even now.) 

I then asked four superior officers in German if they would permit 
me to speak a word to my husband, because he had all our keys and 
papers. Every officer refused to allow me to do so. 

The men, who held their hands above their heads, were searched, 
and the men who had pen-knives in their pockets were shot in front 
of me. One of these men was a slater belonging to Lou vain. This 
man had a German bullet in his pocket winch he had picked up. 
He was shot down, and two of his comrades had to make a pit and 
bury him just where he was shot down. This I also saw. 

My husband was then taken away still bound to the wagon. All 
the women and children were then put into the station, but under no 
cover, although it was raining very hard. The old lady of 85 was 
with us. After a time we were each given a small piece of bread 
and half a glass of water. We remained in the station all night. At 
8 o'clock on the following morning (Thursday) we were set free. 

We had only been free for half an hour when there was an alarm 
raised by the German soldiers, who said that all the people must leave 
the town. We were told that we were all to go to Aix la Chapelle, in 
Germany. The Germans then changed their mind, and we were all 
sent to Tirlemont on foot, about 3^ to 4 hours' walk from Louvain. 

On the 27th August I saw the dead bodies of seven people on the 
road ; their faces were towards the ground. One of them was a man 
who had been burned to death, outside his own house, which had also 
been burned. He was quite unrecognisable. I do not know the name 
of this man. 

On the 28th August as we were being taken along the road I saw the 
corpses of three young men, and then a little further on the dead body 



139 

of another young man, all dressed as civilians, all with their faces 
downwards. They must have been shot as they were walking along 
the road, and they lay just as they had fallen. I also saw the bodies of 
a man and a child of about seven years old. I saw the child who 
appeared to have been shot through the head. Her father was also 
shot through the head. These people had both little packages, showing 
that they were travelling on the road when they were shot. Their 
hands were not tied. This was at some distance from the town 
(Louvain). 

On the way the sentinels became scarcer and scarcer. At first there 
were soldiers on each side of us, and they also had ammunition wagons. 

Seeing a favourable op]3ortunity of doing so, I ran into a field, and 
went on to a farm. I stayed there until the following morning (29th 
August). I then went on to the road again, and saw that the man and 
child were still Ijang in the roaid. 

On the way to Tirlemont I asked the soldiers if I might have a drink 
of water. The soldiers were drinking at streams on the way, but they 
refused to give any of the prisoners a drop of water. At the house of 
a farmer, who also kept an inn, I asked for some milk. This man was 
serving out milk to some of the poor old women when the German 
soldiers came, and pushing the women away drank the milk themselves. 
I had just lifted the glass of milk to my lips when it was taken from me. 
There were thousands of prisoners. I could not see the beginning of 
the prisoners, nor the end of them, on the road from Louvain. There 
were sick and aged people who had to be placed on carts, because they 
could not walk. I saw one woman with her baby. I was informed 
by her companion, who held the baby, that the woman had been 
confined the previous day in her own house. 

The pretext for firing on the houses of the people at Louvain was 
that the civilians had shot at the German soldiers. This was quite 
untrue. I had no arms in my house, and in fact these civilians had 
been unarmed eight days before the arrival of the Germans. 

After leaving the farm I went back to my ov/n house. The house 
had been bm^ned. I went into the pigeon cote in the back garden, 
where I had hidden my money I did not, however, get my money 
then, because there were a lot of Germans about. 

I went back to the farm, and returned to my house three days later. 
A German officer then told me that I was forbidden to go there. I 
showed him my passport to show that it was my own house, and that 
I had every right to go in. I then went in and got my money (the 
officer had then left) and a parcel of shares from the pigeon cote, and 
some linen from my wine cellar. The wine had all been drunk. On 
the previous Sunday I had seen the German soldiers taking the wine 
away from my house and from neighbours' houses. They got into 
the cellar with a ladder, and brought out the wine and placed it on 
their wagons. 

I went with my money in shares and linen to a farm at Louvain. 
I there had to lay on straw as there were no more beds in the place. 

On the way back to my house on the second occasion I saw the 
corpses of some people who had been bm'ned to death close by their 
houses which were also burned. I could not go near the bodies 
because the stench was so great. 

Belgian Refugee. 
On the 26th of August my wife and child and I were taken prisoners e 5 
by the Germans. Everybody in Louvain were taken prisoners ; 
there were at least 2,500 of us. We were put on the train in cattle 
trucks. When we got to the frontier at Aix la Chapelle we were all 
made to get out of the trucks, the women were placed on one side and 
the men on the other. The Germans then took every fourth man from 



140 

the men and placed them on one side and v/ere ahout to shoot them, 
but another officer intervened and said that the prisoners were innocent 
and ought not to be shot. I was one of the men who were picked out 
in this way. I understand a little German and knew what they were 
saying. I asked for some water for my child at Aix la Chapelle and it 
wa^ refused. It was soldiers that I asked and they spat at me when 
they refused the water. The soldiers also took all money that I had 
upon me. 

We had to change trucks at Aix la Chapelle and we were marched 
through the streets. As we went the German women and children 
spat at us. We were then taken by another train to a place about 
20 minutes from Aix-la-Chapelle. We were then made to get out and 
put into an open space surrounded by a wooden paling. We were 
kept in this place for a day and a night and we were not allowed to lie 
down. There was a gun placed in the middle of this pen. We were 
then put into a train again and into cattle trucks and eventually 
reached Munsterlager on the fifth day after we had been taken prisoners. 
During the whole time that we were being taken from Louvain to 
Munsterlager we had nothing to eat or drink. We could not sit down 
in our truck and had to stand the whole time. There were some 
benches in the other trucks but not in ours. My wife was suckling her 
child, but her milk came to an end. My wife was crjdng nearly all the 
time. The baby was dreadfully ill and nearly died. When we got to 
Munsterlager the men and the women were separated, the children 
being put with the women. I did not see my wife and child again until 
the 6th of December when we were released, that is to say, my v,dfe and 
I were released. 

When we arrived at Munsterlager we got something to eat and 
drink for the first time. They gave us water and some rice and some 
hard and stale bread. This was the diet throughout the whole time 
we were there. We got water, rice and stale bread served out to us 
once a day at noon ; the water was given us in a glass and was about 
a litre ; it had some sugar in it. It was a good big portion of rice 
and the bread was about half a pound. It was black bread made of 
rye. We never had any coiiee or tea or butter or anything but the 
water, rice and bread. 

We were confined in big sheds, each of which had a big sort of a 
barn attached to it. In the barn we slept and had straw to sleep on 
and each of us had one blanket. There was no vv^ater supply in the 
shed or in the barn and it was six weeks before I was a^ble to wash 
myself. The only water we had was that given us in the glass to 
dj-ink. Many of the people in my shed got ill, and those who got ill 
were taken away to Magdeburg. There were English, French and 
Belgian soldiers also in my shed. 

During the whole time I was there, that is, until a few days before 
I left, I had no news of my wife and child. I was in a very miserable 
state about this and begged the German soldiers to kill me. After the 
six weeks without water to wash in we were allowed one basin of water 
every day, but we never got any soap. We could not buy soap, as 
we had no money, and, moreover, during the whole time we were 
imprisoned we were never allowed outside our sheds. 

In the course of the journey from Louvain to the frontier two men 
who were in a passengers coach, which formed part of the train, tried 
to escape and broke the windows. The German sentinels bayoneted 
these two men and killed them. I did not myself see them killed, but 
I saw their dead bodies and I v/as told by their companions how they 
had been killed. 

About the 6th of December I heard that three members of the 
Civil Guard of Louvain who were old men, were going to be allowed 
to go back to Belgium. I then begged a German officer who came 



141 

into our shed to allow me to leave Avith my wife and child. I knew 
that my wife and child were well enough by this time to make the 
journey, because I had been able to see them for about a quarter 
of an hour a few days before. A German sentinel had done this for 
me. The officer to whom I spoke said that we might leave. We 
went to Louvain and eventually crossed the Dutch frontier and so 
made our way to England. 

While we were imprisoned we were never allowed to smoke or 
sing. We had notliing to read either. An officer used to come in 
every day and inspect our shed. 

I have never been a soldier. The reason they gave for taking us 
all prisoners were that the inhabitants of Louvain had fired on the 
Grermans. I myself know that the Germans fired on each other on 
the 25th of August. On this day at about eight in the evening I was- 
in the Rue de Bruxelles in Louvain. I was hidden in a house. There 
was one party of German soldiers at one end of the street firing on 
another party at the other end. I could see that this happened 
myself. On the next day I spoke to a German soldier called Hermann 
Otto, he was a private in a Bavarian regiment. He told me that he 
himself was in the Kue de Bruxelles the evening before and that the 
two parties firing on each other were Bavarians and Poles, he being 
among the Bavarians. Louvain was burnt and sacked on the night 
of the 25th and the day of the 26th. 

Before the Germans entered Louvain an order had been given to 
everybody to give up their arms. 

Married Woman. 
I was v/ith my fa,ther in Louvain in August. The Germans e 6 

behaved well for a fortnight. Suddenly one day they . changed. 
They galloped through the street shooting on the civilians and upon • 
one another. My father told me this at the time. He looked out of 
the window occasionally. We were in the salon — afterwards we 
entered the cellar. My father the day before had been a hostage. 
The atrocities began on Tuesday and continued on Wednesday. We 
entered the cellar at 8 p.m. and came out at 5 a.m. on Wednesday. 
I went out of the door and looked into the street. I had walked a- 
few yards to the end of the street — Germans were posted at either- 
end — one of them shot at me. The buUet passed by my head. I ran. 
home. We left Louvain next day. I saw corpses everywhere — men, 
women, and children lying in the streets — a man and a woman lying 
together with a blood-stainsd handkerchief in one of their hands. . 
The firing lasted from Tuesday evening till 5 in the morning and: 
began again an hour later and lasted intermittently till 4 p.m. 

Bricklayer, 
At the time of the burning of Louvain I Avas taken by the Germans^ e 7 

with other civilians, on a Thursday at mid-day. The Germans had 
come to Louvain and told every one to flee as they were going to 
bombard the town ; I Avent towards Aerschot and in a village called 
Rotselaer I Avas taken prisoner Avith others, men, women, and cliildren,. 
2,800 in all. The Germans counted us in the train and it was under- 
stood that Avas the number ; I heard it from one of the prisoneri? 
Avho spoke German. These people were all from Louvain. The 
Germans separated women and children from the men and put the 
men into a large field on which there Avere guns — that Avas on the 
main road to Aerschot. The German officers told us we were to be 
taken to Germany to be shot there and we Avere not to be shot in 
Belgium. Many of the prisoners understood German and told us 
this and the German soldiers who spoke Flemish also explained it. 
After this they turned us out of the field and sent us back to Louvain 



station. I do not know what became of the women and children 
after we were put into the field. We were kept in the station all 
liight in the rain without shelter or food and in the morning we were 
put into cattle trucks — 80 were put into a wagon that would only 
hold 30 and we were knee-deep in dung. We left Louvain on a 
Friday morning and arrived at Cologne on the Monday afternoon 
following ; we had nothing to eat or drink during this time and were 
never allowed out of the wagons to obey the calls of nature. I know 
this was so in the wagon I was in and I heard from others in other 
wagons they suffered in the same way. The train was a long one 
with three engines ; we lay on top of each other — making whoit room 
we could for those who were ill. They took everything from us, 
money, papers, jewellery, umbrellas, and overcoats. Those who had 
the presence of mind to put their letters or papers in their socks saved 
them. 

When we reached Cologne a crowd came round the wagons, 
jeering at us and as we marched out they prodded us with umbrellas 
and pelted us and shouted " Shoot them dead," " Shoot them dead " 
and drew their fingers across their throats. 

W^e had still nothing to eat or drink. 

During this journey one man in the second wagon went mad, 
two in the same wagon tried to commit suicide and about 20 of the 
men there, urinated blood. I was told this after we reached Cologne 
by other Belgians in that wagon and I saw some of these 20 men 
and spoke with them and they were ill and drawn and hagga,rd. 

In my wagon one man tore out the lining of his coat and chewed 
it up and removing his shoe used it as a vessel to drink his own water. 
Only one of us attempted to prevent him doing this, but he would 
not be prevented. This was after tv/o days from Louvain. The 
man lived in the same street as I did, in the next door house ; the 
man who tried to stop him was a well-to-do man, but I do not know 
Ms name. 

When we were marched away, some limped and some were bent 
dov/n and all were filthily dirty and terribly exhausted. 

We were taken to an " Exhibition " and placed in ranks facing 
officers and soldiers ; the soldiers levelled rifles at us. One of the 
officers said, after a pause, " We will put ofE the shooting until to- 
morrow.'^' Then we were put to sleep on planks laid on the ground, 
and in the open. There was no covering over us and it was raining. 

Tlie next day, Tuesday, a soldier told one of the Belgians, who 
spoke German, that the officer in charge had received a communica- 
tion from the American Ambassador that we were not soldiers and 
must be set free. On that evening at 7 o'clock we were each given a 
small piece of new bread and some very, very dirty-looking water. 
That night we were put into a train, in passenger coaches, but 25 
were put into my compartment and I believe the others also ; we 
were crushed together, some slept on the racks and some got under 
the seats. Then we were sent to Belgium, to Schaerbeek, Brussels, 
and we got there the next forenoon. We had nothing more to eat or 
drink during the whole of the time we were out of Belgium. 

When we arrived M. Max, the Burgomaster, and a lot of other 
gentlemen with him came to meet the train. 

We were got out of the train — ^M. Max and the people with him 
were cr5dng when they saw the condition our poor fellows were in — 
M. Max sent for food and drink and people brought to us bread and 
meat, wine and coffee ; we could not wait — we tore it to pieces and 
snatched it in pieces from them — they brought us cigarettes and 
tobacco. The Germans were there, they would not give us up ; 
they marched us on foot to Vilvorde, for eight hours we walked. At 
Schaerbeek 20 or more of us were so exhausted they had to be left 



143 

behind and M. Max was allowed to keep them. On the way to Vil- 
vorde one man sprang into the water, a canal — he was mad then — • 
the German soldiers threw empty bottles at this man in the water, 
they were bottles they got from the houses as they passed and drunk 
from on the way. 

Towards evening the soldiers ordered us to get out and disperse^ 
saying they were sick of us ; there were hundreds of soldiers. We 
began to run away ; fear gave us wings, and we ran very fast, but 
after a little the soldiers tired a few shots after us and one man was 
wounded in the arm. 

We went towards Malines and came to a bridge on the other side 
of which were Belgian soldiers. They challenged us and we told 
them Ave were Belgians who had been prisoners and had been released 
by the Germans. They told us to go into the woods for the night, 
as the bridge had been mined and was unsafe. The next morning 
the Belgian soldiers showed us another way. I v/ent to Ghent, then 
to Bruges on foot and then to Ostend, always on foot, and then I took 
the boat to England. 

Belgian Refugee. 

I was in Louvain v/ith my wife and daughter from the tim© that e 8 
the Germans entered it until the 26th August. The Germans entered 
the town on the 19th August. My house was situated near the Place 
de la Station, and I had a good opportunity of seeing what happened. 
The fii'st thing that alarmed me was a notice they put up on the wall 
in French and in German — not in Flemish — saying that all arms 
were to be brought, and that in case of shooting on a German 
soldier, or molesting them, all the civilians would be shot without 
distinction, men, women and children, and the town completely 
destroyed. 

On the morning of the 26th I heard a gun, artillery, from the 
direction of Malines, and in the afternoon the firing became nearer 
and the Germans were routed. The Germans at this time were very 
numerous, and ammunition carts were just in front of my house. At 
about 7 o'clock in the evening I noticed smoke coming from' the 
centre of the town, and I drew the attention of a friend of mine to 
it, and we decided to go and see what it was — but put it off for a 
short while. Just before eight we heard one shot from a rifle, followed 
immediately after by two others, and then began a general firing, 
I went at once to my garden, the bullets were passing quite close to 
me and I went back to the house and to the balcony, and there I saw 
the Germans, not fighting Belgians, but fighting each other at a 
distance of 200 or 300 yards. At 8 o'clock it begins to be dark, but 
I am perfectly certain it was Germans fighting Germans. The firing 
on both sides passed right in front of my house and from the other 
side of the railway. I was low down on the balcony, quite fiat, and 
watched it all. They fought hard for about an hour. The officers 
whistled and shouted out orders ; there was terrible confusion uintil 
each side found out they were fighting each other and then the firing 
ceased. About half an hour, on the other side of the railway, I heard 
a machine gun. I was told afterwards that the Germans were killing 
civilians with it. It went on certainly for at least five or six minutes, 
stopping every now and then for a few seconds. By this time the 
fire which I had first noticed had grown very much and 'the sky was 
red with the burning of a cluster of houses. Just before I heard the 
machine gun the Germans took the horses out of a Belgian Red Cross 
car, frightened them so that they ran down the street, and then shot 
three of them. Two fell quite close to my house. They then took 
a Belgian Artillery helmet and put it on the ground, so as to prepare 
a mise-en-scene to pretend that the Belgians had been fighting in 
the street. After that there was a little lull and then they began 



144 

to bm'ii the houses in the Rue Marie Therese and the Place de la 
Station, and they put up a barricade across the road with three 
machine guns pointing towards the direction of Boulevard de Diest. 
Shortly after 10 shots very numerous were heard coming from all 
quarters, but not as if there wa^ fighting. At 12 o'clock midnight 
my friends (names given) loiocked at my door, telling me that the 
Germans were destroying the town that it was all on fire and that 
the fighting had been amongst the Germans themselves by mistake. 
I have very good cellars in my house and I invited many of my 
neighbours to come and take shelter. They had to climb over 
the walls of the gardens and by 1 o'clock on the afternoon of 
August 27th there were about 36 of us altogether. I could see 
German soldiers in the bedroom of a lady who was taking refuge 
v/ith us. The Germans picked up the little toilet ornaments and 
silver things and put them in their pocket and threw others down 
or out of the window, and I could see the Germans examining the 
value of them before taking or throwing them awa3^ At least six 
or eight of my friends saw this going on and afterwards the Germans 
set fire to the houses from top to bottom at the same time. They 
did this in bodies of about 15. Then they passed to the next 
house, and so on, doing just the same thing. When we saw that 
the Germans had entered the house of our neighbour, we decided 
to escape over the garden walls. When we were crossing a parti- 
cularly high wall my wife was on the top of the wall and I was helping 
her to get down when a party of 15 Germans came up with rifles and 
revolvers. They pointed their weapons at us telling us to stop. 
I told them not to shoot my wife, but to shoot me. They did not 
shoot. They told us to come down, which we did. My wife did not 
follow as quickly as they wished. One of them made a lunge at her 
with his bayonet. I seized the blade of the bayonet and stopped 
ihe lunge. The German soldier then tried to stab me in the face 
with his bayonet, but I ducked and he hit my hat with his bayonet. 
..and I only got a scratch on the scalp. I then seized the German's 
rifle with my two hands and appealed to a non-commissioned ofiicer 
who was present, asking him if the German had orders to kill us. 
This man gave some order to the soldiers and they fell back. We 
were ordered to put our hands up. They kept hitting us with the 
butt ends of their rifles, the women and children as well as the men. 
There were 36 of us in the garden. They struck us on the elbows 
beca,\ise they said our arms were not raised high enough. I was 
-carrying some parcels containing, amongst other things, jewellery, 
^nd thej^ made me drop my parcels. They loiocked the parcels out 
*of my hands three times, and on the third occasion I was not able 
to pick them up again. I had bruises all over from their maltreat- 
ment, and so had my wife. We were driven in this way through a 
burning house to the Place de la Station. There were a number of 
prisoners already there. In front of the station entrance there were 
the corpses of three civilians killed by rifle fire. The women and 
the children were separated. The v/omen were put on one side and 
the men on the other. One of the German soldiers pushed my wife 
Avith the butt end of his rifle, so that she was compelled to walk on 
the three corpses. Her shoes were full of blood. The men were 
drawn up in the square in front of the Place de Diest. The women 
and children were confined behind barbed wire in the station yard. 
Two or three German officers, one of whom was very big, and another 
thin and very young, came and told us many times that we were 
going to be shot. They came not only to the group of men but to 
the women and children also. Other prisoners were continually being 
brought in from all parts of the town and were brutally ill-treated. 
One yovmg woman on passing by the three corpses had a fit of 



145 

hysterics, whereupon the German soldiers struck her most brutally 
with the butt ends of their rifles. I saw one prisoner with a bayonet 
wound behind his ear. A boy of 15 had a bayonet wound in his 
throat in front. A German soldier (the same who had tried to bayonet 
my wife) came to me and spoke to me in German. I said I did not 
understand, whereupon he said : " Here is something you will under- 
stand," and struck me several bloAvs with his fists in the face and 
elsewhere. I saw the Germans use violence towards an idiot and 
also towards an old paralytic man. It is fair to say that one German 
soldier did help the j)aralytic at last by giving him a sack to sit down 
on. It is also fair to say that the big German officer, of whom I 
spoke, told the soldiers that they were using more violence than they 
ought. The officers next said that they were going to use us, that 
is to say the men, of whom there were 500 or 600, as a screen, because 
there was going to be fighting between French a,nd Belgian soldiers. 
Beliind us there was a barricade with three machine guns. Certain 
orders were given. The bulk of the German troops began to retreat, 
and those who were immediately round us posted themselves behind 
lamp posts, in the doorways of the houses, and behind the posts of 
the electric tramways, as skirmishers. They actually fired, but not 
in our direction. This was all arranged to frighten us. An officer 
came out of the station and fired his revolver twice into one of the 
corpses for pure amusement. We were then told that we were all 
going to be shot at once. I asked permission to kiss my wife, but 
this was refused. We were then divided into two groups. One was 
taken off by the Boulevard de Diest and the other remained in the 
station yard. I was v/ith the latter group. The Germans took us 
by fives, beginning at the head of the group. They put them on 
carts in the station yard. Shots were fired all the time in the station 
yard, but I do not know if these men were killed. The priests were 
treated more brutally than the rest. I saw one belaboured with the 
butt ends of rifles. Some German soldiers came up to me sniggering 
and said that all the women were going to be raped, that is to say, 
they spoke and I did not understand what they meant. When they 
saw that I did not understand, they explained themselves by gestures. 
We were afterwards told we were not going to be shot but were going 
to be sent to Germany. I spoke to a German officer asking him to 
be merciful to an old man who was a prisoner with us, whose wife 
was paralysed at home. The officer asked me to speak in French 
which he said he spoke perfectly. I asked him about the horrible 
acts committed by the soldiers. He told me that he was merely 
executing orders and that he himself would be shot if he did not 
execute them. The old man was released and shortly afterwards 
we were all allowed to go, that is to say the 40 of us who remained. 
My wife and daughter were released at the same time. As I was 
going home with mj^ wife and child, I had to cross a barricade just 
at the beginning of the Boulevard de Tirlemont. A German soldier 
posted there pointed out a house on the boulevard from which he 
said the civilians had fired and killed a German officer. The house 
in question was the house of a man whom I knew, and was empty. 
The streets were full of empty mne bottles. We saw many bodies of 
men, women, and children, in the street all of them lying face doAvn- 
wards. None of them had any arms besides them, only packages. 
The latter had been ransacked. I saw B . . . and his v/ife, the 
latter was wounded. On the road I saw some nuns who had been 
driven from their convent. One of them was old and at the point of 
death, and was. being carried by the others in an armchair with the 
help of a priest. I also saw many patients whom the Germans had 
turned out of the hospitals in order to burn the hospitals. At Ter- 
vueren, I spoke to a German officer who told me that the inhabitants 



146 

of Louvain had burnt Louvain themselves because they did not wish 
to supply food and quarters for the German army. My wife told me 
that a German non-commissioned officer said, while they were 
prisoners, that he was executing his orders, and that he was executing 
them with great unwillingness. 

University Student. 
e 9 I left Louvain at 8 a.m. on the 26th August, and as I was leaving 

I saw at the corner of Rue Louis Melsen the carbonised body of a 
dead civilian, and on a lawn round the statue of Van der Weyer about 
50 corpses of civilians who had been shot lying on the flower beds, 
and German soldiers walking about among the bodies pushing them 
aside Avith their feet. At that time all the hotels in front of the station 
were on fire, and also the nearest houses in the Eue de la Station and 
Boulevard de Diest. 

Belgian Refugee. 
e 10 On the 19th August, I was arrested by the Germans in LouvaiB 

and ordered to stop as I was on the road trying to escape, with my 
aaothsp, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, my wife and my little 
ehild. This was on the road going to Aerschot. The men were 
ordered to go to one side of the road, the women and the children to 
the other. While I was standing there I saw in front of me a German 
officer of high rank who some three daj^s before had taken a bath at 
the establishment of which I was manager, living there with my wife 
and child. This officer had made himscK very pleasant to us, and 
had even played with my little child for more than half an hour, and 
had given him sweets. I spoke to this officer in French, which he 
understood. I reminded him that he was the gentleman who had 
taken a bath at my establishment and played A^dth my child, and I 
asked him if I might request a favour from him. He replied " All 
right, what is it ? " I asked him if I and my family might go on 
along the road. He did not answer, but began to l8.ugh and jeer at. 
me (nVe au nez) and struck me a blow with his fist on my face, and 
called me " schweineluder " (filthy pig). He then went away laughing. 
After being made to wait for three hours, as described in my statement,, 
we were placed in a cattle truck which was 18 inches deep in dung. 
There were between 40 and 50 of us in the truck. The truck was a 
closed one and we were in the truck the whole night. In the morning 
the train started. Three sentries came in then and they stood by 
the door, which they opened. During the journey, passing the 
different places in Germany, the people made signs at us by drawing 
their hands across their throats, and even the children threatened us 
with sticks. Arrived at Cologne we were placed in a public park, 
where we had to sleep on the ground in the open air without any 
covering. We had had no food up to this time and had had no chance 
to buy any. They gave us bread in the morning at nine o'clock. 
We had been v/ithout food for two days and nights, and nothing to 
drink till we got to Cologne, except that one of my fellow-prisoners 
had a bottle of water from which we just wet out hps. At noon of 
the same day we were put into a train again, into a third or fourth 
class compartment. In my compartment there were 18 prisoners — 
there was only room for about eight people — or ten seated close 
together ; we were 48 hours in this train. About 10.30 p.m. on the 
second day, we arrived at Brussels, when for the first time on the 
journey we were given board by some civilians. We had had water 
given us three times on the journey. In the course of the journey 
the train stopped at Henne, a village on the frontier. Here, at 
about 3.30 o'clock in the morning of the 22nd August, when it 
was dawn and already light, I saw one of the prisoners who had left 



147 

his carriage and was standing by the line about 10 or 12 yards from 
ane. I was looking through the closed window. The people who 
were in the carriage which the man had left, told me afterwards that 
the man had gone out to satisfy nature. I have forgotten the m.an's 
name, which I knew. He belonged to the village of Wygmael. He 
was going towards the side of the line to make water when three 
Crerman soldiers approached liim. One of them caught hold of him 
and threw him on the ground and he was bayoneted by one or other 
of them in his left side. The man cried out ; then the German soldier 
Vvithdrew his bayonet and showed his comrades how far his bayonet 
had gone in. He then wiped the blood off the bayonet by drawing 
it through his hand. I do not know to what regiment the soldiers 
belonged, they wore a pickelhaube helmet with a number on it, but 
I cannot remember the number. I think it was either 15 or 115, but 
I am not sure. The three soldiers had got out of the train to go 
after the man. There was an officer in command of the soldiers on 
the train. I heard an order given, but I did not grasp the meaning 
of it. The order was given as the soldiers were going towards the 
man. 

After the soldier had wiped his bayonet he and his comrades 
turned the man over on his face. About half an hour later four 
civilians came with a barrow and took the dead man away. A few 
minutes after the German soldier had wiped his bayonet he put his 
hand in his pocket and took out some bread, which he ate. After 
this incident we were allowed to get out of the train three times in 
48 hours to relieve ourselves. 

At Liege the train stopped. I got out on the platform of the 
carriage to try and get some water. I saw a man from one of the 
front carriages (as I afterwards heard) run over by the train. I 
was on the platform at the end of the coach in which I was riding 
and I felt and saw the coacli go over his body. The train was stopped. 
I heard a German officer say, " See whether it is a German or a 
prisoner." His body was taken away. I heard afterwards from a 
fellow villager of this man tha,t he had killed himself on purpose. 
The name of the man's village v/as Thildonck. When I was at Cologne 
there were about 120 of us, and three of them certainly had gone out 
of their minds. 

Belgian Refugee. 
I was in the same train which came from Cologne to Brussels. ell 
I remember the train stopping at Henne. I was sitting facing the 
window. I heard that two men left the train. I only saw one. 
Three German soldiers went after him. I heard shouting, but I do 
not know whether it came from an officer. The soldiers approached 
the man, one of them threw him down on his back and one of them 
drove his bayonet through the man's chest. The man screamed out, 
and put his arms out and was dead. The Germans then turned him 
over on his fare. Later on four civilians came Mdth a wheelbarrow 
and took away the body. This ha.ppened in the moi*ning at dawn 
about 3.30 on the 27th August. I am sure of the date, and think 
last witness must be mistaken as to the date. The man was about 10 
or 15 yards from where I was. I do not know the man's name or his 
village. After the man was killed the German soldier withdrew his 
baj^'onet, he started cleaning it with his hands and showing to his 
comrades the depth that his bayonet had entered the man's body. 
The German soldiers wore helmets with a number on them, but no 
spike. I do not know what the number was. It was after the soldier 
had wiped his bayonet that they turned the man over on his face. 
Almost immediately after the soldier had wiped his bayonet he started 
eating some bread and butter. 



148 • 

All the journey from Lou vain to Cologne we had had nothing to 
eat, only a little water when we got into Germany. We got to Cologne 
about half an hour after midnight, and were taken to a place where 
there had been a fair, and I slept on a sort of joy- wheel. We first 
got some food about half past ten the next morning — when they 
gave us some bread — 12 loaves for 120 people. 

At Liege I saw a man taken from under the train, which had run 
over him. The train had run over his stomach, and I saw and recall 
the contractions of his mouth when he was taken out. I do not know 
whether the man was trying to escape or whether he was trying to 
commit suicide. I think he must have jumped out before the train 
stopped at Liege. I heard people say who he was and where he came 
from, but I cannot remember now. 

We went from Lou vain to Cologne in cattle trucks. There was 
about a foot of manure in the trucks. From Cologne to Brussels 
there were about 18 of us in a compartment for 10. 

Belgian Soldier. 
e 12 At the bombardment of Louvain I was on patrol duty with 14 

other Belgian soldiers. 

Just outside Louvain, on the road to Lierre, I saw a civilian hanging 
to a tree. On the ground beside the tree there were a woman, aged 
about 35, and of a child, about two years, bound together. The 
mother was lying on her back ; she had no skirt on, and merely had 
her chemise, which was torn open. The body was cut from the neck 
to the stomach. It seemed that a knife had been used. The child 
was naked, and I saw that her head was severed from her body, and 
her clothes were scattered around. 

The man hanging to the tree was fully dressed, and had apparently 
been shot. 

Single Woman. 
e 13 On Tuesday the 25th August at about 4 p.m. there was great 

agitation in the town, the Germans having announced that the French 
were at the gates of the town. I heard firing which appeared to be 
outside the town. The people hid in their own houses. At about 
8 o'clock I heard a. lot of firing and also heard the Avorking of the 
mitrailleuse which was at the station and also at the town hall. In 
Station Street the Germans cut down the tram wires, and all the 
windows of the houses were broken. Many soldiers and horses were 
killed. The German soldiers were drunk, both cavalry and infantry- 
men, and were firing upon each other in the streets. 

On the same evening the Germans fired the four corners of the town 
by means of naphtha, with v/hich they sprinkled the houses. In the 
group of soldiers there was a company of incendiaries, whom I saw. 
They had a broad belt, and in front of it were the words " God is with 
us" in German, and opposite were the words "Company of In- 
cendiaries." Some of these belts were afterwards found in the street, 
worn by soldiers Avho had been killed or wounded, by their comrades 
and not by civilians, who were all unarmed. On these belts were 
all the materials for putting houses on fire, namely, a hatchet, a syringe, 
a small shovel, and also a revolver. The light caused by the fire was 
very great. I spent the night in the cellar with my grandmother. 

The German soldiers broke the doors of the houses with the butt 
ends of their rifles. The soldiers knew that the people were in the 
cellars. They, however, shot through the gratings into the cellars. 
The persons who opened the door in response to the knocking of the 
German soldiers were shot upon opening the door ; and the people 
who tried to escape were also shot. On that night about 100 people 
were killed, men, women, and children, who tried to escape. I saw 
their corpses the very next day, when trying to flee from the Germans, 



149 

Some of them were in pools of blood. I also saw some children (I 
cannot say how many) who had been killed by bayonet thrusts. 

On the 26th August at 3 a.m. I went into the yard of my uncle's 
house. He lived next door to my grandmother ; and I got over the 
garden wall by the aid of a ladder. The firing still continued, and 
the houses were still burning. I then went over three walls into the 
garden of a gentleman named X . . . into which he had also fled, 
because the houses at the corner of the street had caught fire, and 
soon after the next house caught fire. While I was with X . . ., a 
German officer who knew him and had dined at the house, called and 
said that we were not to go, but to remain where we were. I do not 
know the name of this officer's regiment ; he was a big man, of about 
45 years of age, and nearly grey. He also said, " I will bring jon here 
two wounded Germans, and the-n in that v/ay your house will be safe." 
Half an hour afterwards another officer came and said that we and 
every other person v/ere to leave, if we desired to save our lives, and 
to go in the direction of the station, to go to Liege. Everybody then 
left the house. I saw the fire tind ruins about us, and heaps of corpses 
of men and horses along the road. Many civilians were killed in rows. 
I also saw some German soldiers lying dead. There were no Belgian 
soldiers. At the station my grandmother and I were made prisoners 
by an officer, who told me that we were to go to Liege. Soon after- 
wards, however, he left us. 

A simple soldier then approached me, struck me on the shoulder 
with his fist, and then kicked me and said, " Look at the corpses of 
the civilians who shot our soldiers, and whom we have butchered." 
There were six corpses lying next to each other, in a little public garden 
near the station. The men M^ere placed in rows of five, and the fifth 
13erson was taken and shot in my presence. If the fifth man happened 
to be old, his place was taken by the sixth man if he happened to be 
j^ounger. This was also witnessed by my grandmother, my uncle 
and his wife, and my cousin, and our servant. My aunt was taken 
prisoner when standing next to me. She was taken to the station 
with my cousin (her baby) and kept there until the morning. It 
rained ail the night, and she wrapped the ba.by in her skirt. The 
baby cried for food and a, German soldier gave the child a little water, 
and took my aunt and the child to an empty railway carriage. Some 
other women got into the carriage v/ith her, but during the whole 
night the Germans for amusement fixed at the carriage. 

My uncle was taken prisoner with 74 men, and taken to the trenches 
and made to stand in front of the German soldiers when fighting the 
Belgians. My uncle and the other prisoners had their hands tied 
behind their backs. They were afterwards told to confess to a priest 
who was with them, as they were about to die. 

My grandmother, myself, and our servant fled from the station 
towards the country. A troop of Germans arrived at the bridge from 
a place called Blauwput, and they had big hatchets in their hands, 
and they were setting fire to the last houses on the Boulevard de 
Diest. By the canal, some days later, I saw the dead body of a 
priest who belonged to one of the churches in the town. I was told 
that the hands and legs of several persons were cut off and exhibited 
in the road, but I did not see this. 

We then fled towards Oost Cappel, where we passed the night in 
a big brewery ; 100 people had already taken refuge there. We 
slept on the stones. 

On the 27th August I heard firing from the direction of the country 
side. At about 10 o'clock we left for Wilsele and spent the night 
there with a friend. In the afternoon many German soldiers passed, 
with several prisoners — the women and children in carts, and the 
men on foot — who had been taken from the villages. The prisoners 



150 

were taken to the station. The same night I slept round a table with 
■the people of the house. 

On Friday, the 28th August, large numbers of soldiers passed on 
1:heir way to Lou vain, taking with them men, women, and children. 
I saw a man shot dead, and his body thrown into a potato field ; he 
iiad attempted to escape. 

About mid-day another crowd of fugitives from Lou vain arrived ; 
they had come from the outskirts of the town. I heard that they had 
i3een warned to go to a distance of 3 kilometres from the town to avoid 
-a further bombardment, and that this was a trap in order to capture 
tthem on their way. At 4 o'clock I retiu-ned to Louvain because I 
dare not remain on the country side for fear of being shot. I saw 
three German soldiers by the railway firing at the people, and, to 
-escape from them, I and other people went into a little house close 
to a foundry. After about 30 minutes we went to Louvain by way 
of the bridge. There a German soldier compelled 25 i>ersons, nearly 
all women and cliildren, of whom I was one, to go down on oiu^ knees, 
with our stomachs nearly on the gi'ound, and put out our hands for 
lialf an hour. The soldier levelled his rifie all the time at us to prevent 
lis from getting up. Then I saw a wagon full of German soldiers 
.going to the canal, and they passed us. They then set the foundry 
on fire. I heard the sound of explosions, and I think they used 
■explosives at the foundry. The heat v/as so great on the bridge that 
we begged to be allowed to go away, but tiiis was refused. After 
-waiting a long time we v/ere allowed to pass, and got into Louvain, 
where we saw fire everywhere. At Canal Street we were taken prisoners 
by four German soldiers, and taken to the garrison, where there were 
about 1000 prisoners. An officer took my grandmother, myself, and 
our serva,nt into the drawing-room of a house connecting v/ith the 
■garrison. This officer was named Hearnts, and he behaved very well 
towards my grandmother and myself. One of the German soldiers 
told me to leave the door of our room shut, and said, " If you open 
this door you will be shot." On Satm-day (29th August) Commander 
Hearnts gave us a cup of cofiee, and at 3 o'clock we were allowed to 
igo free. By order of the commander three soldiers took our luggage 
to the house of a friend of ours. We stayed there three days. All 
the other prisoners were taken to Germany. 

I asked the Commander why we had been spared, and he said 
^' We \vill not hurt you any more. Stay in Louvain. All is finished." 

On Sunday, the 30th August, I heard the sound of cannon in the 
■distance. 

On Tuesday, the 1st September, we left the house of our friend 
and went to the house of an aunt of mine. In the morning I went 
to Kessel Loo Jor meat, as I could not obtain any in Louvain. In 
the afternoon 1 v/ent to Herent for some milk. I went into one of 
the houses there and saw the corpses of a v/oman and her son, lying 
in pools of blood. I was informed that they had been dead a week. 
A sheet had been placed over their heads, because there were thousands 
of flies about. 

On the 8th September many German soldiers came into the town, 
and many of the houses which had not then been burned were pillaged 
't)y these soldiers, along with some prostitutes whom the soldiers had 
picked up. 

As my house was still standing I went to see it, I had to go with 
a soldier, and had to have a passport. When I got there four soldiers 
-oame out of the cellar. One of them held a revolver at my head, but 
"the soldier who accompanied me presented my passport, and I was 
-allowed to go in. I went to the house a second time, and there saw 
20 soldiers in the house. Everything in the place had been ransacked, 
a,nd the place looked like a pigstye. I went to the house a third time, 



151 

and the soldier who accompanied me tried to kiss me, but I resented 
and he pushed me doAvn the stairs, and afterwards got hold of me and 
kissed me. He did not interfere with me in any other way. 

In the street I saw a young girl about 16, running away from a 
drunken soldier, who told me he wished to violate her. She ran to 
an officer, and complained to him, and he shot the soldier on the spot. 

Widow. 

When the Germans occupied Louvain, a German General, whose e l^ 
name I cannot recollect, was billeted at No. . . ., Rue de la Station. 
The General left about two days before the 25th of August, 1914, and 
gave my master a certificate to the effect that he had been well treated, 
and said that we might show it to any other German officers who 
came there and that it would be a protection to us. When the German 
General left two other officers were billeted in my master's house. 

On the 25th of August, 1914, we had supper as usual in my master's 
house at about 8 p.m., but the two German officers did not come in 
to supper on this evening. At about 9 p.m. my master went to bed. 
His son, who slept in the same room with his father, also went to bed. 
The other servants in the house and I went to bed about 9.30 p.uft... 
By orders of the German soldiers all doors of the said house were lefi 
open and all lights lit. 

Very soon after I had gone to my bedroom I saw flames out of my 
room from some burning house near by. I therefore went and roused 
my master and his son. As my master and his son came down the 
stairs they were seized by German soldiers and both were tied 
up and led out, my master being tied with a rope and his son with a 
chain. 

My said master and his son were dragged outside. I did noi 
actually see what happened outside, as by this time I had gone into 
the kitchen, but a man I know told me that my master and liis son 
v/ent on their knees outside their door and that the German soldiers. 
kiUed both of them. My master was both bayoneted and shot and 
his said son was shot. I heard shots in my kitchen at the time this- 
murder was committed. I was present at the burial of both my 
master and his son, which took place 13 days after they were murdered 
as aforesaid. They could not be buried before because a house near 
b}^ had fallen down after the fire referred to in the next paragraph 
and the bodies could not be got at. 

After my master and his son were taken outside German soldiers 
came back into the house and poured some form of inflammable liquid 
over the floors of the lower rooms and set fire to the house. I escaped 
from the house by another staircase to that by which my master and 
his son had descended. I got into the garden, chmbed a wall by the 
aid of a ladder, and so escaped. 

Belgian Refugee. 

I was in Louvain when the German soldiers burnt the town. I am e IB> 
a civilian, and am not, and was not, at the date of the occurrences 
hereinafter mentioned in the Belgian Army. 

During the fire I saw some German soldiers tie a man's hand 
behind his back. They then made the man run along the street and 
shot him as he ran. This man was a civilian, but I do not know his 
name. 

In another street in Louvain at the time when the town was 
burnt I came across 19 dead Belgians lying on the ground with their 
hands stretched out. They had all been killed by bullet wounds, and 
apparently had been shot while holding up their hands. All these 
men were civihans. 

I was myself made to kneel down in a street in Louvain and hold 



152 

up my hands. There were many other Belgian civiKans made to do 
the same thing along with me. I managed to get up and run away, 
and as I ran I saw nine of these civilians shot and killed by German 
soldiers. 

Belgian Refugee. 
e 16 Prisoners, consisting of civilians, civic guards, and soldiers, were 

marched round the town on the Wednesday in batches of two or three 
hundred, German soldiers in front, at the side and behind. They 
broke the windows of the ground floor of houses with their rifles and 
bayonets. They selected certain houses because they said people had 
fired from them. 

The Rue de la Station is the principal street leading from the 
Hotel de Ville to the station and is about a kilometre in length. I was 
walking behind soldiers who were breaking windo^\s there. Then 
they threw a white powder in and also on windows and shutters. They 
then threw in straw bottle covers which blazed as if they were soaked 
in parafEn. They lit them and threw them in. The powder made 
the house on fire in " no time." They carried it in a box and threw 
it in with little shovels. I can't say whether they intended to burn 
the whole street doA^Ti. This was going on for five days. They chose 
fresh houses every day. We were prisoners in the station and were 
marched round as I have described for three days. There are about 
500 houses burnt in and near the square, and two principal streets, 
the Rue de Diest and Rue de la Station. The excuse always was that 
shots were fired at soldiers. People were ordered to give up their 
arms to the Burgomaster. All the Civic Guard did so. If any one 
had shot a German he could easily have been caught. 

Six men were coming back from work in company ; there was 
fighting going on between Germans and Belgians at the time. They 
were going along the Rue de Malines ; our troops were firing from a 
liill towards Malines. A German patrol were standing in a cafe belong- 
ing to my mother and ran at and caught them and took them prisoners 
about six o'clock ; when it was dark they made them walk in front of 
the soldiers. Our soldiers had retired and ceased fighting then. This 
was on the Tuesday night. They were told to say " Gy most op de 
Soldaten niet schieten " — Flemish for "Don't fire on the soldiers" 
and. they had to hold their hands up. They marched them to the 
Louvain Canal. Thej^ were shot by the German patrol from behind. 
I could find people in Louvain who saw it, and I know where they are 
buried. It is covered with lime. 

We were told at the hospital thare was a young girl brought in 
wounded. Her father and mother told me the story themselves, 
they came to the hospital when the ambulance brought her. About 
five or six soldiers put her father and mother out of the house, they 
searched the house and found the girl in bed. The mother herself 
told me at the hospital that all of them had raped her. She was 
crying, but gave me the impression that she was speaking the truth. 
This was one of the ordinary hospitals at Louvain. It is the University 
hospital ; in war time, a Red Cross Hospital. I feel sure that the 
father and mother could be found ; they were middle class people I 
should think. The girl died a few hours afterwards. The mother 
told me she (the daughter) had three bayonet wounds in the breast. 

The railway station was full of prisoners, some were taken to 
Germany. I went in one of the first trains — about 4 p.m. in broad 
daylight. They consisted of cattle trucks ventilated only by four 
small square holes about a foot and a quarter square. In three days 
we got to Cologne. They only gave us a few biscuits each. We were 
not allowed to get out to drink water and they gave us none. Three 
were dead when we were taken out. There was written on the wagon 
in German " Civilians who shot at the soldiers at Louvain." I did not 



153 

notice it when we started. I do not think any of them had, because 
the}'^ were too frightened of the Germans, but of course there may 
have been some who did. I asked to have my eye treated. A soldier 
put his hand on his bayonet and asked if I would like it out. I thought 
he was going to poke my eye out. He started laughing, and said, 
"Anyway it won't matter, you'll soon be hanged or shot." I was 
paraded with about 300 others before some officers the day after I 
arrived at Cologne. They chose apparently every sixth man. I was 
not chosen. They shot about 60 there and then, we all saw them shot. 
A day or two afterwards we were marched through the town for the 
people to see. About 100 of us were kept in wagons. Not even 
straw to sleep on — 30 or 40 were together. A day or two after the 60 
were shot we were all paraded on the drilHng ground. Ropes were 
put round the necks of a certain number, I can't say how many but 
1 got one. They said they were going to hang us. After about 10 
minutes an order came to shoot and not hang us. They had a firing 
squad ready at once and put five or six up, but did not shoot them. 
We stayed at Cologne a good week and then they took us back to the 
Belgian frontier in the same trucks, but only about 30 or 40 this time. 
When we went to Cologne we were pushed in " like sardines in a box," 
about 100 in each truck. We were escorted by Bavarians, who opened 
the carriage doors and let us all go at Limburg. 

I made my way round Diest, avoiding towns until I got to Antwerp, 
and came to England in a refugee ship. 

Mechanic. 

On a Tuesday in August (I think it was the 25th) I saw some Ger- e 17 
man soldiers break open the cellars of the houses in Lou vain. The 
soldiers belonged to the 120th Regiment of Infantry. One of the 
soldiers (who was drunk) began to shout at some of his colleagues. 
An officer came along shortly afterwards and said that the civilians 
had shot at the soldiers (which was not true), and then the soldiers 
commenced to shoot at the civihans. I saw 20 civilians shot ; none 
of them had any arms. My father was killed in the Rue de Bruxelles 
on that day. I did not see any women shot, but I saw one woman 
lying in the street who had been cut in two with a bayonet ; a child 
who was not killed, was beside her. I saw another soldier dragging 
a woman along the street by the hair. I also saw a soldier carrying a 
man's head on the end of his bayonet. 

I hid during the night with my mother and my little sister and my 
brother in the cellar of a brewery. The Germans then ordered all the 
civilians to leave the town. 

I walked along the canal and there saw the corpses of about 20 
men, all civihans, who had been shot. I did not know any of them. 
One of the men had a grey beard, and I noticed that some of them 
had wedding rings on their fingers. I saw four men bound together. 
Two of them were dead and the other two still living. The two latter 
begged me to unbind them, but I dare not stop as the Germans were 
pressing us. 

With a lot of other civihans I went to the gate of the canal, and 
when I was about eight kilometres from the town I. was made prisoner 
by some German soldiers, Avho belonged to the 127th Regiment of 
Infantry, along with a large number of civilians. The women were 
separated from the men and set free. The men were taken into a big 
field and an hour later we were taken to Louvain Station. At 9 o'clock 
we were placed in large cattle trucks in which there were dung and dirt 
almost up to our knees. There were 64 in the truck in which I was 
placed. The men were strangers to me. We then went on our way 
to Cologne and were kept for 24 hours in the truck ; the truck itself 
was in darkness, but there was a light at one side where the sentinels 



154 • 

"were. At Liege we had one wine bottle of water amongst the whole of 
■the persons in the truck. We received no food. The train arrived 
•at Cologne at 2.30 a.m. We had not been allowed to leave the train 
to obey the calls of nature, and all of us had retained ourselves until 
we got to Cologne, where we went on our knees and begged the soldiers 
i:o allow us to get down. 

We were then taken to a park at Cologne and placed on a " joy 
"wheel." There were in all about 2,000 prisoners. 

While we were at the " fair " I saw a Belgian priest, who belonged 
■to Kessel Loo (I do not know his name), being beaten by six German 
■soldiers. This priest was one of five who had accompanied us from 
Lou vain. 

After being three hours art the " fair " we were taken to another 
place a,nd were made to stand in rows of three, and the soldiers stood 
■in front of us ready to fire. A German soldier arrived on horseback 
and brought a despatch to the officer in command. I then heard the 
-officer say in German, " It is the Kaiser's will." We were then again 
put on the " joy wheel " and a loaf of bread was then given for each 
10 men. This was the first piece of food we had had, but the bread was 
liard, sour and blue moulded. It was like Belgian bread but of German 
make, and it had the number " 11 " upon it. (It was about 10 by 5 
^y 3 inches.) I was very faint from want of food. Many of the 
prisoners were nearly mad with hunger. 

I slept for four hours on the "joy wheel," on which I noticed the 
tia.me of " Hachenrad." We were then given a glass of water each. 

We were then placed in a fourth class compartment of another 
train and the train left Cologne. On the way children in the roads 
threw stones at us. We then went to Verviers, where some of the 
inhabitants gave us food, but this the soldiers took from us. The train 
"then went to Liege. There I asked one of the sentinels in the train 
-where the priest of Kessel Loo was, and he replied in French that the 
priest was shot. 

We were then taken to Brussels. There the bm"gomaster, M. Max, 

was on the station and gave us some new white bread. The train then 

went to Schaerbeek, and we got out of the train. We had some loaves 

throAvn to us by the soldiers there, but they were very sour and we 

-eould not eat them. We were then marched to Vilvorde in rows of six. 

I was in the last row. We were made to run quickly, and the soldiers 

■struck us in the back with their rifles and on the arms with the bayonets. 

At Vilvorde we were told we were free, after being prisoners for five 

'days and five nights. I there metmy little brother for the first time. 

He had been a prisoner, but not with me. Germans told us that the 

Belgians were massed at Sempst. We went on the way to Sempst, but 

-on the way were again made prisoners. Some of the Germans there 

-spoke Flemish, and I told them we had been to Germany and we were 

allowed to go. 

I arrived at Sempst and there was again made prisoner with my 
brother (aged 12) and two men. There were about 15 Germans. They 
"tlirust their bayonets quite close to .our chests. Then four of them 
-prepared to shoot us, but they did not shoot. Then two German 
soldiers told us we were to go with them and fetch some other civihans 
who had run away, and we went with them and they captured otheT 
men. One of the prisoners went mad and I was made to hold him 
and he hurt me very much. I do not know his naine, but he came 
from Lou vain. We then met the captain of the German soldiers and 
lie allowed us to go. Those civilians who could speak a little German 
were given passports on which were placed the words, " Direct to 
'Malines." This was in the middle of the night. We were told to cry 
'^ut on being challenged, " Pass. Halt. Fleuchteling ; fugitifs." 



155 

Priest. 
On Thursday, 27th August 1914, I was at Louvain, and four 
German soldiers came with a Louv-ain policeman and announced that 
all citizens must leave, as the troops were about to bombard the town. 
I was the last man to leave and as I left I saw the Germans driving the 
women and children (who had fled) back into the town ; they were 
crying. When I left, the to-^ni was in flames ; the fire was not caused; 
by gun shots, but it was deliberately started. I personally sav/ a 
number of houses on fke which had not been struck by shot. 

I spent the Thursday night, with other refugees, in an abandoned 
villa on the road to Aerschot. 

On the Friday morning, whilst I was seeking food, I came across © 
patrol of the 162nd Regiment of German infantry. The officer in- 
command [qy. non-commissioned) presented a revolver at me and 
demanded my arms. I said I had none and was then put at the head 
of a number of refugees from Wygmael and marched, siu-rounded by 
German soldiers, back towards Louvain. The soldiers mocked me all the- 
way, pulled my ears, and called me " swine," " black devil," " blood- 
hound." I was in my priest's dress. They charged me with having: 
instigated firing on the German troops by Belgian civilians and with 
having told them to do these acts from the pulpit. They made m& 
walk all through Louvain. Sometimes the soldiers called a halt whilst 
they went into houses, coming out again with knives, forks, &c. 

I saw the corpses of five dead Belgian civilians lying beside the road, 
their hands bound behind their backs. They were males. I neither 
saw nor heard of any ill-treatment of either women or children in the: 
neighbourhood of Louvain. 

When I retm-ned to Louvain as above-mentioned, the greater part 
of it had been burned. The burning began on the Tuesday (25th> 
with the barracks and was followed by the burning (Wednesday) of the- 
uni versify, library, and the collegiate church of St. Peter. 

The German soldiers gave as their reason for the acts of violenee- 
at Louvain that they had been fired on by civilians. To the best of my 
belief there was no such firing. The Germans arrived on the Tuesday- 
evening, having been engaged in recent fighting and many of them^ 
were drunk and firing at random. My belief is that they shot some 
of their own men and then, to excuse themselves, sought to throw the- 
blame on the civilian residents. This was the common report, but 1- 
cannot speak of my own observation. 

On being taken back to Louvain I was placed between four sentinels 
at the entrance of a riding-school in the Rue du Manege, where there^ 
were 6,000 or 7,000 refugees, and mocked by the soldiers as before ; 
they threatened me with the bayonet and sometimes put their rifles 
to their shoulders, making as if they were going to shoot me ; but this? 
did not take place when officers were present. 

I spent the Friday night in the riding-school. In the morning a 
woman was found to have become insane. A child of a few montfis? 
died in the morning, I understood from privation (there was no mill:- 
to be had). During the night the' glass roof of the riding-school broke- 
through the heat of the bm'ning buildings sm-rounding it. 

In the morning a German officer came to the riding-school and' 
made the following announcement : — 

"You are all free to leave, because Antwerp has srarendered, 
Namur has fallen with 25,000 soldiers ; German warships have success- 
fully bombarded the English ports ; King Albert will dine in Berlin 
at mid-day, to-day, and we shall sup to-night in Paris." 

AVe left under armed escort for Windgat and on the way saw four- 
burning farms, before which were three corpses burnt to a cinder. - 
In a ditch near by were two peasants who had been shot. 

At Windgat the refugees were soried out in three groups, (1) womers.- 



156 # 

and children, (2) men 20 to 40, and (3) men over 40. I was placed in 
the 20 to 40 group, the man who gave the order saying " he is the worst 
of the lot." 

My group was marched through Herent, Bueken, and Campenhout. 
On the way there was not a single house which was intact ; all had been 
burnt (not shelled). At Herent, a town of some 5,000 inhabitants, 
not a single house had been left standing. During the march a Belgian 
professor of agricultvire fell with fatigue, whereupon a German oiRcer 
said, " That is your work ; if you had not fired upon us, this would not 
have happened." 

Eventually we succeeded in reaching the Belgian lines about mid- 
night on the Saturday, 29th August. 

Belgian Refugee. 
c 19 On August 19th I took my wife and children to St. Gilles, near 

Termonde. I returned on the 21st, having heard that the Germans 
had been repulsed from Lou vain. I walked from Landrecj^ about 
40 kilometres ; at Campenhout, about 16 kilometres from Louvain, 
there were manj^ refugees on the road, and v\^hen we got to Campenhout 
W8 were about 400 at least. The Germans stopped everyone to see if 
any of us were armed. None of us had. There were three cyclists 
with us. When they had been searched the Germans gave them 
permission to go on. I heard them do so ; it was an ofEcer who said it. 
They mounted their machines and when they had got about 200 j^ards 
away, there was another regiment of Germans there. I heard them 
shout " Halt " to the cyclists. I was then 50 yards from the cj^clists. 
and heard it quite distinctly. The soldiers who called " Halt " were 
not more than 20 yards away from them, and I think they must have 
heard as they were much nearer to the soldiers than I was. I he 
cyclists did not stop instantly, and they shot them dead before they 
got 5 yards further. I think they might have stopped, but cannot be 
sure it was possible. We had to walk by their dead bodies. 

At Kessell there was an old man of about 70 living with his married 
daughter. Some German foot soldiers came to his house and tried to 
rape his daughter — her husband v/as probably with the troops. I 
heard there were four or five soldiers. She had cried out and neigh- 
bours came to help, and they did not accomplish their pm-pose. The 
old man protected her. They took him out and made him dig a grave 
and then they shot him and buj:"ied him in it. I assisted the neigh- 
bours to re-inter him. This all happened in the morning and we 
rebm'ied him in the afternoon. The soldiers held their revolvers over 
him, and to prevent the neighbours giving any assistance. Kessell is 
3 kilometres from Louvain. This happened on the 22nd, Saturday. 
I stayed at my cafe doing business vmtil the 27th. On the 25th they 
began to bombard the town, and I stayed in my cellar — I am just 
opposite the library of the University — until I left. 

German soldiers lodged with me before the 25th and bought wines, 
liqueurs, beer and food, and paid well for it. Afterwards an officer 
came and asked if I had many marks. I showed him v/hat I had, and 
he took it all and put it in his pocket. I asked for a receipt, and he took 
out his revolver and pointed it at me saying, " Here is a receipt." On 
Thursday, at 10 or 11, a friend, a chemist, told me they were going 
to bombard the town, and v/e v/ere only to have two hours to escape, 
which we did. 

On Tuesday, the 25th, they began to burn the town about 8 p.m. ; 
they did so during two or three days. They drank a good deal and 
began to fire one on the other. They broke the windows and doors 
with axes or something of the sort and threw something in, and the 
houses were aflame at once. I saw no hostages marched through but 
I was in my cellar most of the time. They had not burnt my house 



157 

when I left. Many of them were drunk, and fired wildly about. They 
were angry because they had been repulsed. They said the inhabitants 
fired at them. I saw no inhabitants fire. They had been disarmed. 
Very few carry revolvers or rifles. 

When I escaped they were arresting all the civilians. I escaped 
by pretending to be an old man. (The witness here walked round the 
room bent forward with his coat collar turned up indicating how he had 
" pretended to be old.") I was carrying my friend's child. I escaped 
to St. Gilles, and some days afterwards I saw six men, including a 
relation of mine— his sister is married to the brother of the husband 
of my wife's sister — tied together. I came up just after this was done. 
I heard them crying out in pain before I got to them. They had 
killed them with bayonet wounds, covering them from head to foot. 
There were about 20 other people. The cries ceased 5 or 6 minutes 
before we got there. The soldiers had then gone further on. My 
brother-in-law was with me. We ran away when we saw they were 
already dead. 

Single Woman. 

The 19th August Germans arrived in Lou vain. Five were lodged e 20 
with us. One, a man of 55, who did all he could to help us with advice 
and assistance. For three days the Germans not behave badly. 
From the beginning I dressed as a man by the advice of the German 
mentioned above. On the 24th August we were obliged to come out of 
om' houses by order of the Germa^ns. At about 15 yards distance from 
us were a man and a woman with hands tied behind them whom I knew 
by sight, and their little girl about six j^ears old. While we stood there 
the Germans began to cut the child in pieces with a bayonet. First 
they cut off the girl's foot, then her hands, then the forearm, and so on. 
I fainted. They also cut off the girl's head and stuck it on a lance. 
I did not see this last — my parents did. We were told it was to 
punish the parents because neither husband nor wife would consent 
that the wife should be given up to the Germans. I was taken into a 
room upstairs. When I recovered, and as I came down to go for 
shelter to the cellar, another German came in ; he saw me and looked 
ciosely and tore off my cap. He saw I was not a boy. He had to go 
out and I hid myself in a wardrobe for 24 hours to escape them. We 
again had orders to leave the house, but the German first-mentiohed 
advised us not and we retm'ned therefore directly. As we did so we 
saw the Germans firing on all the people as they came out and but 
for the advice given us we should have been shot down as the rest were. 
While the Germans were with us we had to feed them. What they did 
not eat they threw on the ground. All we got was what we managed 
to abstract. 

One day we had orders to find 26 eggs. My mother and I tried 
to find them. All we could find in three hours was 20. We told 
the Germans this. One of them threw them on the ground and said 
we must find 26 in the afternoon. After some time — and paying a 
great price — my mother and I managed to collect them from farms 
in the country. 

The 25th August the Germa,ns began to make prisoners of all in 
the streets. My brother came to visit us, a civilian. The Germans 
would not let him in at first. AfterAvards they gave him five minutes. 
We have never seen or heard a Avord of him after he left. This wa^s ' 
on 23rd August. 

26th August the Germans were all called out themselves and our 
friendly German came back in a few minutes and told us to Ay, as 
our house would be burnt. We got over the wall. After a time we 
fell in with some German sentries. After some time we were allowed 
to go on with the Germans following behind and passing us on from 



158 

outpost to outpost. We had to march with our hands up and without 
looking round for two hours. Our numbers grew up to about 40. 
We turned of! the main road along a by-lane into a wood between two 
German posts and so escaped finally to Bruges. 

Note. — This statement was also signed by the father and mother 
of the witness. 

Belgian Refugee. 
« 21 I was a member of the civic guard. The Germans arrived on- 

August 19. On August 26th at 1 p.m. some German drummers and 
a policeman came to warn the civic guard that they must meet at 
2 p.m. at the St. Mark's barracks, which was then burning, to assist 
in putting out the fire. When I came to the Grand' Place, I was made 
prisoner with the rest of the civic guard. Of the civic guard many- 
had escaped ; several did not respond to the call to assist in putting- 
out the fire ; others were taken prisoners from time to time in parties, 
not all at once. The Germans handled us roughly : I was struck with 
the butt end of a rifle several times. 

About 2 p.m. we were taken between two files of German soldiers 
through the Sue de Bruxeiles. On the way the soldiers fired at the 
windov/s of the houses on both sides, and killed one of the civic guard, 
a butcher, who lived in the Rue de Namur. He was trying to leave 
the ranks, being afraid. I saw tliis done, and I saw an officer move 
the body to see if he were dead or not. 

In the village of Herent near the shooting range, the officers ordered 
the soldiers to unharness the horses from their heavy carriages and 
compelled us to draw them for three hours along dangerous narrow 
paths. We were then allowed an hour's rest. 

In the meantime they made more prisoners, and they shot a 
civilian — not a member of the cvnc guard — v/ho lived in the Rue 
de Bruxeiles. I did not see him shot ; but I saw him marched cff 
by an officer and some soldiers with his hands bound. 

At 10 p.m. we v/ere told to lie dov/n in a field ; we were given 
no coverings of any sort, nor straw, and it was raining ; our feet were 
bound. 

On August 27th, at 5 a.m., we got up, and at 6 a.m. we were 
marched through Bueken, Wespelaer, Campenhout, Thildonck, &c., 
mth our hands bound by one long cord. All the while it rained in 
torrents. My hands were still marked with the cord the next day. 

At 10 a.m. we were allowed some rest in a barn, having marched 
20 to 25 k>lometres. At midday we reached Campenhout, where we 
were made to dig trenches. At 7 p.m. we were taken through that 
village, and were allowed to sit down and rest ; but we vv^ere placed 
behind the guns, v/hich were bombarding Fort Waelhem. We could 
not be seen from the fort, because of the ground ; but fortunately the 
fort did not reply. 

More prisoners were brought in from the village of Campenhout, 
and we were sent into the village church at Campenhout to pass the 
night. On reaching there at 8 p.m. another man was called out by 
the Germans and accused of firing, but he proved that he had not, 
and was released. 

On August 28th, at 9 a.m., they inspected us all to see if we had 
any arms ; then we were taken back to Louvain. The houses along 
the road were burning. The principal streets of Louvain itseK were 
burnt out. I saw at Herent and on the way many bodies of civihans — 
men and women. There were then about 1,000 of us prisoners ; 
women and children as well as men. 

We passed the night in the riding school, a large building on the 
cavalry exercise ground. Terrible scenes were witnessed there ; one 
woman went mad, some children died and some were born. 

On August 29th they took us out of Louvain along the MaHnes 



159 

road, between two files of German soldiers. At Herent they let the 
women and children, and the men of over 40, go free. The rest of 
us were taken to Boort Mcerbeek, where we were released, being told 
to march straight on to Malines ; if we did not or tried to escape, 
we should be shot. 

At 11 p.m. we came to the Fort of Waelhem ; the Belgian sentinels 
fired on us, but we cried out that we were Belgians who had been taken 
prisoners by the Germans. They satisfied themselves that this was 
60, and let us pass. 

During the whole of these four days I received only two potatoes 
for food ; some others had four. I saw many corpses ; some had 
been shot with their hands tied behind their backs, others had been 
burnt in the houses, some had been killed with blows from the butt encU 
of rifles. I saw children who had been shot on the roads, not in 
Lou vain itself. I heard that the Germans threw the bodies of dead 
civilians into the burning houses to get rid of the corpses. 

While I was a prisoner, the Germans constantly told us that we 
should be shot the next day. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I am a private soldier in the Belgian Army. In September I was e 22 
engaged with others of my regiment searching houses in the outskirts 
of Louvain which had recently been occupied by German soldiers. 
On entering a house there, which had been partly burned, we found 
the dead body of a woman. The body was clothed and bound with 
cords, both arms and legs, and partly burned. In a weU situated in 
the courtyard of the same house we found the dead body of a man 
hanging by a cord round his neck. The water reached about the 
middle of the body. The head was above water line. The man had 
died of suffocation, not drowning. 

Married Woman. 
Before the war I lived at Louvain. My husband was chauffeur to e 23 
a professor, and we occupy a cottage close to the professor's house. 
My husband is now serving in the Belgian army. When the pro^ 
fessor left Louvain on 19th August I remained behind in charge. 
On the day the Germans entered Louvain I fled from my cottage into 
the town. I returned to my master's premises the next day. The 
German soldiers had then taken possession of the place, and they 
refused to let me enter. The Germans had five motor-vans outside 
the premises, and I saw them removing from my master's house 
wine, blankets, books, &c., and placing them in the vans. They 
stripped the whole place of everything of value, including furniture. 
The whole place was in disorder and I saw the soldiers smasliing glass 
and crockerj'' articles and the windows. I paid my last visit to my 
master's premises on Tuesday, 25th August, leaving there for the 
town of Louvain about six o'clock in the evening. That evening the 
German soldiers began firing on the whole civilian population. Large 
numbers were killed. I saw the dead bodies of two women and one 
child lying on the boulevard near the Tirlemont Gate. This was on 
the Thursday morning. Ten persons at least known to me personally 
were shot, and I remember the names of the following : — 

[6 names given.] 

On the Tuesday (25th) the Germans began systematically burning 
houses in and near the Tirlemont Road, and I saw them in flames. 
I noticed my master's house burning fiercely at 10 that night. It 
was entirely destroyed. In one house in this neighbourhood three 
women and two men were burned or suffocated in their cellar. This 
was in a hamlet called Mol, about 300 yards from my master's house. 



160 

The houses were burnt by means of hand-bombs, some egg-shaped and 
some square. They broke shutters and windows and threw these 
bombs into the houses ; they exploded and set the houses on fire. 

Before 25th August I saw German soldiers in the Tiriemont Koad 
breaking into houses with hatchets and removing portable contents 
into trucks. I saw the same thing at houses on the boulevard near 
the Tiriemont Gate ; I noticed in particular wine being removed from 
the cellars. I know the Germans said there was firing by civilians ; 
the matter was discussed by Louvain people in my presence, but I 
heard of no such firing having taken place ; and every one I heard 
speaking about it said there was none. On the 19th (morning) I 
saw arms being taken to the Town Hall. This was by order of the 
Mayor, and after that I saw no civilian carrying any arms. 

Belgian Refugee. 
e 24 On the evening of a Tuesday in August, I heard firing in Louvain 

(my house being in the suburbs). I removed my family into the cellar 
for safety. Next morning at 4 a.m., on going up to extinguish the 
fights (left burning all night by German orders), my attention was 
drawn to the fact that the University Library had been set on fire. 
Shortly afterwards a squadron of German soldiers came along the 
street- to my house. I heard a shot fired. I did not see who fired it, 
but a lady living opposite, whom I know well, informed me that the 
sergeant in charge of this squadron had fired his rifle and that it was 
this shot I had heard. On the soldiers reaching my house, the ser- 
geant halted there and pointed to his boot, suggesting he had been 
wounded by the shot I have mentioned, though, in fact, this was not 
the case, and thereupon the squadron fired a volley at my house, 
breaking the windows. This happened within a few seconds of the 
shot I have mentioned being heard. The Germans then entered my 
house and after rifling my pockets * threw me into the street. I 
protested (in German) that there had been no firing from my house, 
but the soldiers smashed mirrors, and statuary, &c. 

I was informed by friends well known to me, and whose veracity 
is beyond question, that two German soldiers entered the house of 
one of my colleagues, went upstairs to the second floor, and fired 
from the windows into the street ; and it was common knowledge 
that this was one of many instances of attempts to make out that 
there had been firing by Belgians from their houses. 

Belgian Refugee. 
e 25 I am son of a Louvain professor. I met at Furnes, whilst I was 

with the army, a man who was a refugee from Louvain. He had 
been some 25 years in the service of the Louvain University as a 
porter, and is well known to me, a man of integrity. He came to 
give me information as to the happenings at my father's house, of 
which he had been left in charge. He told me that when the Germans 
arrived at Louvain they took possession of my father's house and 
completely looted it, taking away all portable articles of value and 
destroying the furniture and other contents. That they stabled 
horses in the. drawing-room. That they destroyed, tore up, and 
threw into the street my father's manuscripts and books (which 
were very numerous) and completely \\T:ecked his library and its 
contents. That finally the Germans burnt the house together with 
all others in the neighbourhood. The Germans also destroyed the 
manuscript of an important work of my late father which was in 
the hands of a printer. 

* I think it was for arms that they searched me. (Note by witness.) 



161 

Railway Employe. 

The Germans came to Blauwput on 19th August and took posses- e 26 
sion of the place by an advance guard of cavalry. On the 28th August 
I was taken prisoner with 58 other civilians. I counted them. On 
that date a very much larger number of Germans had arrived. The 
prisoners were separated, the men put into one school and the women 
and children into another. A German officer came to the school where 
I was imprisoned and stated that the civilians had been shooting at 
the Germans. This officer then ordered a sergeant to count the 
prisoners, and then sent the sergeant to a superior officer (a major). 
The major came on horseback and ordered the under officer to count 
the prisoners again. The major then selected five of the prisoners, 
who were taken to behind the church and shot. The following day 
we were ordered to bury those who had been shot. I saw other 
civilians shot in the streets. I saw no civilians firing on the Germans. 
I do not know the names of all the prisoners who were shot, but I 
knew them by sight. One lived at Rue de I'Eglise, Blauwput. Among 
the prisoners who were not shot were (five names given). I saw a 
young woma.n, about 25, lying on the ground in the street wounded 
l)y rifle shots. I did not see her actually shot. She was left lying 
wounded for 2^ days and subsequently died. We were not able to 
go to her assistance. I saw German soldiers break into the houses. 
One party consisting of six soldiers had a little cart with them. I 
saw these break into a store where there were many bottles of cham- 
pagne and a stock of cigars, &c. They drank a good deal of wine, 
smoked cigars and carried off a stock in the cart. I saw many Germans 
engaged in looting. 

Belgian Refugee. 

In the afternoon 20th August the road was almost blocked with ^ 27 
civilian refugees coming into Brvissels from the direction of Lou vain. 
I saw a party of about 50 Uhlans approaching, and with the other 
members of the Garde Civique I hid my rifle and tunic. I was thus 
able to see the conduct of the Uhlans without being recognised by 
them as a combatant. The Uhlans were pricking the refugees with 
their lances to make them walk more quickly. They were doing this 
to women both old and young. I saw one of the Uhlans pricking a 
young woman who had four or five children walking by her side. An 
old woman, evidently the mother of this woman, was being prodded 
with his lance by an Uhlan to make her walk faster. This caused the 
younger woman to turn round and shout something to the Uhlan, 
which I was unable to hear. The Uhlan then deliberately plunged 
his lance into one of the children, a little girl of seven or eight years 
old. The young woman screamed out " My child is dead ! " ; and 
several others screamed, which caused the crowd to become infm-iated. 
The Uhlans then charged into the people, scattering them in all direc- 
tions, and I saw no more. 



TERMONDE. 

Belgian Refugee. 

On Friday, the 4th September, the Germans arrived at Termonde, * 1 

and on the following day the town was partly set on fire. 

A woman, who was a servant, asked me to go to her house to fetch 
a box. When we got to Verestraat, Termonde, I was taken a prisoner 
by some German soldiers, belonging to the 97th Regiment of Infantry. 

F 



162 

They were there to see if any of them were soldiers, and also to search 
them. Several other civilians were also made prisoners. At about 
12 o'clock on the same morning, a German officer came and asked 
for some of the tallest and strongest men of the prisoners to go round 
the streets with paraffin. I was not chosen. The German soldiers 
had three or four carts containing large paraffin tanks, and they used 
a syringe to put paraffin on to the houses ; they then fired at the 
houses, and the houses at once were in flames. At first the houses 
of rich people were burned in this way, and then the houses of a lower 
class were fired. A German soldier had previously told me that if 
the Mayor of Termonde, who was out of town, did not return by 12 
o'clock that day, the towh would be put on fire. The mayor did not 
return, and by about 1 o'clock the town was in flames. 

The remainder of the prisoners were afterwards taken to a large 
factory. We were again searched for weapons. We were given pass- 
ports to enable us to go anywhere in the town, but not to leave it. I 
went with 25 of the civilians, and we met a sentinel, who told us we 
must not pass and he made us follow him. When I got to a street 
near the water I ran away, got into the water, swam across and got 
a boat. I returned to the other side in the boat and brought away 
the other civilians. I had previously seen some of the German soldiers 
put " mines " on the bridge, and when we got to the other side of the 
river the Germans blew up the bridge. 

I then went to Zele, and after a few days was allowed to go back 
to Termonde. I then saw the bodies of about ioxtr civilians and the 
body of one child about 6 to 8 years of age, near the body of a civilian 
close to the station. The people around said this child had been 
bayoneted, one had a bayonet thrust through his breast. I saw this. 
I did not go near the others. I also saw the corpses of several German 
soldiers. 

I saw one man shot dead in Termonde. He was a civilian, and 
was shot on the threshold of his house by a German soldier. I do 
not know this ma^n by name or by sight. He had given no provocation 
whatever. I was about 30 metres away from him. I then fled from 
the town. 

Belgian Refugee. 
£2 At 8 o'clock in the morning of the 4th of September of the day 

when Termonde was bombarded I saw some Belgian troops with a 
mitrailleuse on the towers of the Church of St. Gilles. The Germans 
were at a little place called Lebbeke. An engagement then ensued. 
When the firing commenced I fled with my little godson, aged 7, 
to the station. I got with him into a train due to leave for Ghent, 
but owing to a report that the Germans were at a station close by 
the train did not leave. I then went back to the town, and seeing 
that the Belgian troops were retreating through the toT^Ti, I fled with 
my godson to the house of a brewer, and went into the cellar with some 
other people. Two hours later the Germans entered and we were 
made prisoners. The men were taken out of the cellar and the women 
were left behind. My godson came with me. We were taken into the 
street. One of the German soldiers said that the civilians had shot 
upon the Germans. This was not true as the civilians had all been 
disarmed. There were about 70 men in all, and we were made to 
walk through the town. The brewer, who was an older man than 
me, was also a prisoner, and as he did not walk fast enough a German 
soldier thrust -a bayonet into his thigh. The brewer fell but was com- 
pelled to get up and follow the soldiers. We had to hold up our 
hands, and when any of us dropped our hands we were struck on the 
back with the butt end of a rifle. We went on to Lebbeke, and there 
were then about 300 prisoners. We were locked up in the church 
there for three days. On only one of the three days were we given 



163 

any food, namely, a piece of bread and a little water. We were then 
taken out of the church and placed in a line on the south side of the 
street. The prisoners were all men, old and young. A general came 
in a motor car, and he asked his men where the town hall was. None 
of them knew. He then brought me out of the ranks of the prisoners 
with my little godson, and I went into the motor with him and showed 
him the way to the town hall. He said in French : "If you do not 
show me the right way I will shoot you and your boy." At the town 
hall I saw the postmaster and three of his officers and the general said 
to him : " Tell your people to leave my soldiers alone. If they do 
that nothing will happen to them. We have got three cannons stand- 
ing outside the town ; and if between now and a quarter of an hour 
there are not three white flags flying on the principal places the place 
will be burned to cinders. But I give you my word of honour that 
if you put out three flags nothing will happen." The flags were then 
obtained and hung out as ordered. 

I had in a pocket under my waistcoat about 5,000 francs, which 
I had obtained in order to pay my workmen. The same general 
took this money from me (it was in gold and silver and notes). 

He then told me to go back into his motor as he was going to drive 
me home. He got down at the church at St. Gilles and then asked 
me, " Did not they shoot from this tower this morning ? " I told him 
I did not know. I saw that the church had been used as a stable for 
the German soldiers' horses. 

The general promised on his word of honour to spare the church 
because he (the witness) had rendered assistance. The general then 
said : " Are you satisfied ? Am I not a good German ? " I said, 
" Yes, I am glad that I am alive." He then allowed me to go free. I 
went home with my godson and hid there until the next .morning. 
I saw lots of German soldiers passing with civilian prisoners aU through 
the night. The next morning I saw that my house had been set on 
fire, I then fled and saw the church burning, and on the way to 
Berlaere I met thousands of other fugitives fleeing from the Germans. 

Belgian Refugee. 

On the 4th September I was at the Town Hall, and with me was a f 3 
policeman in civilian dress. Some German soldiers arrived belonging 
to the 162nd Regiment, and I was taken prisoner with the policeman. 
I was made to walk in front of the soldiers with my hands above my 
head, and one of the soldiers struck me in the back with the butt end 
of his rifle. I could scarcely walk after this. I was then made to 
show the soldiers the depot where the soldiers' clothes were kept. I 
then saw that the German soldiers were fighting the Belgians in the 
streets of the town. The Germans then made me and five other 
civiHans stand in front of their force .with our hands above our heads. 
If any of us allowed our hands to drop we were at once struck with 
the butt end of a gun. The Belgian soldiers retreated. We were then 
made to walk round the town, and other civilians were then captured in 
the streets. The clergyman of Wespelaer, whom I knew, was com- 
pelled to go to the top of the church at Termonde with a lariest named 
(name given), whom I also knew attached to the hospital to see if there 
were, any Belgian troops on the tower. The prisoners, in all about 
120 civihans, were then |}aken into a turnip field, where we were kept 
until 7 o'clock. Then the prisoners were set free (I was among them), 
with the exception of 100 men, amongst them being L . . ., a Deputy, 
who were taken away, and we were told that they were to be sent to 
Germany. 

When we were in the turnip field the mother of the hospital brought 
the wounded women and little children in a large wheelbarrow, and 
placed them in the open air, because the Germans were threatening to 



164 

burn the hospital. A German officer then came to the field and 
ordered the women and children to be taken back to the hospital^ 
promising that the hospital would not be touched. 

On the following morning (7th * September) the hospital was set 
on fire by the Germans. All the sick were taken out, about 13 or 14, 
with the exception of one man, V . . . N . . ., who could not be 
moved, and he was burned to death. I saw the soldiers fire the 
hospital. They used small tubes, which they threw into the hospital, 
and the place caught fire. The soldiers also took some drums of oil 
from an oil store, which they fired, and then threw into houses, and 
the houses at once caught fire. I saw a jeweller's shop robbed 
by the German soldiers and then set on fire. 

I was again taken prisoner on that day, but was set free later in 
the day. The German soldiers spat in the faces of the prisoners who 
spoke to them and called them " swine." 

My wife and children are, I believe, still in Termonde. They urged 
me to leave the town to avoid further capture. No women at the 
time were taken prisoners. 

Belgian Refugee. 
f 4 About four weeks ago from the 2nd of October 1914, the Germans 

came and occupied Termonde. 

When the Germans came three other men and I hid in the cellar. 
The Germans dragged us out and together with about 200 other 
Belgian civilians we were made to march in front of the Grerman 
soldiers. 

We marched as aforesaid to the banks of the Biver Scheldt. There 
were Belgian troops on the other bank of the river. The Germans 
still kept the said 200 Belgians in front of them whils they fired at the 
Belgian troops on the other side of the said river. They rested their 
rifles on the shoulder of each of us and fired in that way. I had a 
German soldier immediately behind me who fired at the Belgian troops 
in this manner. The Belgian troops, of whom there seemed to be 
very few, did not fire back but fled away. 

At about the same time as the events referred to in the preceding 
paragraphs took place I saw two young men of about 35 years of age, 
both well known to me, killed by German Uhlans in the following 
manner. They were walking along a road. Some Uhlans came up 
behind them and shouted sometliing to them in German. The two 
men took no notice and then the Uhlans rode at them and killed 
both of them with their lances. When they had killed them some of 
the Uhlans got off their horses and cut open their bodies. So far as 
I know and could see the men had offered no provocation whatsoever 
to the Uhlans. 

The German soldiers would not allow the bodies of the said two 
men to be buried for about 10 days. 1 myself saw their bodies lying 
where they had been killed on several occasions. At the end of the 
10 days I myself assisted to bury the bodies of the said two men. 

Belgian Soldier. 
f 5 For 16 years I have been a constable. Fifteen days before the 

Germans arrived all the citizens had given u^ their arms at the Hotel 
de Ville. The Germans arrived on the first Friday of September. 
The same morning my family left for Ostende, going by way of Zele. 
On the Sunday morning I came back from Zele between 7 and 8 
o'clock, but finding the town occupied by the Germans, I turned back. 
On Monday I came again and found the dead bodies of two workmen 
I knew lying at the corner of Le Vieux Rampart. Both of them were 
* This is clearly a mistake for the 5th. 



165 

fathers of families. The bodies* were both burnt down one side — the 
side lying next to the house which was burnt. I left Termonde 
on the Wednesday. 

Belgian Refugee. 

In the beginning of September the Germans came to our village f 6 

(Baesrode). Forty -two thousand came — cavalry and infantry and all 
kinds, artillery, Uhlans, &c. They remained there from the Saturday 
afternoon till the Monday morning. On the Saturday afternoon they 
took 250 men, including me, on to a field about five minutes from the 
village. Some of these, including me, remained the whole night in the 
field, kept there by the Germans. We slept on the straw which they 
brought for us, without any covering. At 7 a.m. the next morning 
we were let go home. Three of the village men were shot on the 
Saturday afternoon. I saw their bodies on the Sunday. I don't know 
why they were shot. The Germans did not say that the three had fired 
on them. The Germans kept saying to us " Be good, and we will be 
good." They made no complaint of the behaviour of the villagers. 
The villagers did nothing. On Sunday morning the Germans plundered 
houses and smashed up the houses of those who had fled. We were 
not allowed to stir out of our houses on the Sunday — soldiers stood 
with revolvers in the street. At 7 p.m. on Sunday evening we were 
again taken out to the field. I did not hear of any insulting of women 
while the men were away. I have a mother and two sisters in the 
village. Nothing was done to them. 

The Germans left on the Monday. They took about 30 men with 
them, one of them a man of 72 years. I do not know what happened to 
them. I left the next day. 

Belgian Soldier. 
About the beginning of September last I was with my company f 7 

which was advancing upon Termonde, of which the Germans were in 
possession. As we entered the town my attention was called to a 
house in a street leading to the railway station by reason of a number 
of people who were close to the window of a room on the second floor 
apparently struggHng together, and one (a girl) trying to attract the 
attention of the Belgian soldiers so as not to let those in the room 
know that she was doing so. I then looked and saw 14 or 15 German 
soldiers, some of whom were evidently trying to force some girls who 
seemed to be from 17 to 25 years of age down on to the floor. Being 
on patrol duty I returned to my officer and we then advanced in force, 
the Germans retiring before us. I then went with my officer, Com- 
mandant C . . ., and three other men into the house above mentio'ned. 
We found the mother tied up in a chair in a room on the ground floor, 
and afterwards found the father hanging by the neck to a beam and 
was dead. Four girls came downstairs to us, all of whose dresses 
were disordered, and the bosom exposed, the youngest in particular 
having almost the entire front of her dress torn away. Only the 
eldest was able to speak, the rest being too much overcome to do so. 
She said she had been violated by two men, the youngest by four, the 
third by three and the second by two. The girl who had attracted my 
attention from the window showed me a wound in her left side under 
the breast where she had been pierced by the bayonet of one of the 
Germans when he saw what she was doing, and it was still bleeding 
when I saw it. 

Belgian Soldier. 

Li Termonde I was stationed with some of my company on the f ^ 

16th or 17th September to watch the road to Brussels. The village 

of St. Gilles is about 1 kilometre from Termonde on the Brussels road. 

* These are the bodies referred to in deposition f 4. 



166 

The German cavalry came up once or twice, but we drove them back. 
Some infantry then came, driving before them the inhabitants of St. 
Gilles, men, women and children. We could not fire, and they came 
quite close. When within 30 or 40 yards of us, the civihans ran off to 
one side or other, and they were fired on or bayoneted by the Germans. 
One man was bayoneted by a German within 5 yards of me. The 
Germans retired to St. Gilles for a short while, and I advanced and 
brought in the man's body ; I took his passport. He was a stoker 
named D. P . . .1 gathered from this. I buried him. I should think 
about 20 civilians were killed in this manner at the time. The Germans 
burnt the whole of St. Gilles. 



Belgian Eefugbe. 

£9 At Termonde the Germans took about 300 Belgian civilians (men) 

prisoners, and forced them to march hands up in front of the Germans. 

The Germans placed their rifies on the shoulders of the civilians 
and fired at the Belgian soldiers, who returned the fire. 

Forty of the civilians were killed by their own countrymen. 

At Termonde I saw German soldiers seize two civilians (men) and 
forced their hands into buckets of boiling water. Their hands were 
terribly scalded. 

I also saw at Termonde two Belgian civilians bound by German 
soldiers, and then deliberately killed by bayonet wounds in the 
abdomen. 

The men had given no sort of provocation. 

Two German officers were present whilst both the last two things 
happened (the scalding and the bayoneting), and it was by their 
orders that the things were done. 

Later, the same day, I saw the same two officers order five Belgian 
civilians to dig a pit. The five were then made to stand on the edge 
of the pit and they were shot by German soldiers with rifles by order 
of the officers. 

Belgian Soldier. 

flO About 20th September I was with my regiment at Termonde. 

We came there that day in the morning. On entering the town I saw 
in a street there, the name of which I do not know, a pair of feet in 
women's boots protruding from the ground. They were evidently 
the feet of a woman who had been buried a very slight distance below. 
There was clay thrown over the spot as if covering a human body. 
The -inhabitants of the town told us that the Germans had left the 
town three days before, and that they had killed the woman while 
they were there. 

Belgian Soldier. 

f 11 About 20-24 September, near Termonde, I was, with another 

man, on outpost duty. We entered a house. Near the house was 
a ditch and in the ditch a dead woman. The Germans had been 
driven out of the village about two hours at most. We lifted the 
woman. She was lying on her right side. The right hand had been 
cut off. It was not caused by shell fire. I have seen a number of 
wounds so caused. This was a cut. The hand we did not find. 
The woman had been killed by a bullet through the breast. 



167 



ALOST 

Belgian EEruGEE. 

On Saturday evening, 11th September, there was an engagement f 12 
between the Germans and the Belgian troops at Alost, and the Germans 
retreated. A poor weaver was crossing the road with a pail of water 
from the well. The German soldiers, 10 in number, charged at him 
with their bayonets and killed hiin. He had given no provocation 
whatever. I saw this myself. 

Another man was shutting his door in Binnenstraat, Alost, on the 
same night, when I saw him shot dead by German soldiers. I do not 
know the name of their regiment. This man had six children. 

On Sunday, the 12th September, I was taken prisoner with 31 
other civilians. The Germans first took all our money, and when 
I remonstrated one of the soldiers struck me with the butt end of 
his rifle. We were taken along the road from the E,ue des Trois 
Clefs, and at about 100 metres further we were placed in a row, and 
we were made to salute the German officer. We were taken further 
along the road, and placed in a group round a corner. The Belgian 
soldiers were at the time in a hotel about 50 metres away, and the 
German soldiers pushed the civihans in front of them past this hotel. 
One of the civilians was then shot by one of the Belgian soldiers. 
The Belgians, upon seeing the civilian prisoners, ceased firing. The 
prisoners then fell down on the ground, and the Germans retreated. 
We were then protected by the Belgian troops. 

The whole of the men who were taken prisoners with me had been 
hiding in cellars. The Germans pulled the men out of the cellars 
and burned their houses. One of the places burned was a shop 
belonging to E. W . . . This man sold petroleum, and the Germans 
fired the shop with the man's petroleum. 

Nothing was done to the women and children. 

While I was walking along the road from the Rue des Trois Clefs 
with the German troops I saw the bodies of 14 civilians who had been 
killed by bayonet wounds or with blows from the butt ends of rifles. 

British Subject. 

I saw at the Wetteren Hospital, after the battle of Alost, about f 13. 
the 15th September, a girl of 11 years of age, from Alost, with 17 
bayonet thrusts in the back. I saw the wounds, and she was prac- 
tically flayed. The girl was at the point of death. Mr. G . . . was 
with me and can corroborate me as to this and also as to the other 
facts mentioned below. 

On the same day at the same place I saw one L. de M . . . He 
also was at the point of death. I took this statement from him, 
viz., that he had to escape from his house ; that he took refuge in 
the house of his wife's sister ; that the Germans came into the street ; 
that they separated into two rows in front of her house ; that they 
came into his house and piled the chairs and the tables on the top 
of each other ; tha,t a.U the inhabitants of the house took refuge in 
the cellar ; that the Germans dragged them out through the flames, 
and that when he came out they seized him, threw him to the ground 
and hit him over the head with the butt end of a rifle ; that while 
he was on the ground they also ran his thigh clean through with a 
baj^onet ; that then they made him pass between their rows giving 
him further blows in the back with the butt end of a rifle ; that he 



168 

with seventeen or eighteen others, were placed in front of the rows 
of German soldiers ; that they were threatened with revolver^ in 
order to compel them to do so ; that the Germans told them that 
they were going to pay for the losses sustained by the Germans at 
Alost ; that they had to walk in this way in front of the German 
troops right up to the battle line ; that there the German troops 
began to fire, whereupon the Belgians threw themselves on the ground 
but were obliged by the Germans to get up again ; that later the 
Germans were obliged themselves to get up, whereupon the Belgians 
took the opportunity of escaping by side streets. I saw the wounds 
of the aforesaid L. de M . . ., which corresponded precisely with 
what he told me. He signed his statement in my pocket book, and 
I hold my pocket book at the disposal of the Belgian and English 
authorities. 

I also saw at the hospital an old woman of eighty who was run 
clean through by a bayonet thrust. She was too ill to speak, and 
I do not know her name. 

I next went up to another wounded Belgian in the same ward. 
His name was F. M . . ., and he lived at Alost. I wrote his state- 
ment in my pocket book and he signed it after having read it. It 
is as follows : — -" On Sunday at half-past nine in the morning I was 
in my loft. I saw the Germans coming skirmishing towards the 
town. I was expecting them to fire. The Germans came into my 
street. They smashed in the doors of my house and came into it. 
They seized me and pitched me outside. In front of my door I saw 
a dead German. The Germans said to me : ' We are going to make 
you pay for this.' The Germans then took hold of me and gave me 
a bayonet thrust in the leg. Meanwhile they poured naphtha oil 
over the house and set it on fire. My son was thrown into the street, 
and I was dragged off with L. M . . . to the firing line. I do not 
know what has happened to my son. I saw several marks of blows 
from butt end of a rifle on this man's back and the bayonet thrust in 
his leg." 

Tailoe. 
f 14 r^ The Germans were in Alost for about eight weeks in all. After an 
engagement mth the Belgian troops the Germans returned to the 
town, and entered some of the houses and fired them. I saw four 
houses put on fire. 

An old man, a weaver by trade,* wanted to get into his own house, 
which is close to mine, but a German soldier struck him with his 
bayonet. The man fell, and then the German killed him with a blow 
on the butt end of his rifle. I saw the man fall. When the soldier 
went away I went up to the old man and saw that his face was split 
in two. 

The cargo boats were not allowed to leave Alost. Some civilians 
took refuge in one of these boats, and the Germans saw them and at 
once fired on the boat. I was some distance away, but I saw the 
boat sink. I cannot say whether any of the people who were in the 
boat were actually drowned. 

In Groen Straat I saw the dead bodies of three men, but I do 
not know how they met their death. 

f jg Belgian Befitgee. 

On the morning of Saturday the 26th September the German 
soldiers arrived at the Market Place, Alost, from Brussels. They 
consisted of both cavalrymen and infantrymen, and with them were 
a number of civilians with their carts of hay, &c., which they were 
evidently bringing to market when the Germans captured them. 

* See also f 12. 



169 

I understood that some of these civiUans had been walking with the 
troops for eight days. I cannot tell the names of the regiments to 
Avhich the soldiers belonged ; I am not acquainted with soldiers and 
their various regiments. 

The German soldiers went into a street called Binnenstraat, 
broke open the windows of the houses, threw some fluid inside, and 
immediately the premises were in flames. I cannot say what was 
the nature of the fluid. I saw the soldiers do this. Some people 
in the houses in that street ran out of their premises, and escaped. 
Some, however, were burned to death. The houses were inhabited 
by a very poor class of people, who were hiding from the Germans, 
and who gave no provocation whatever. 

The river at Alost runs through the town, and some German troops 
were on one side, and the Belgian troops were on the other side of the 
river. Fighting was going on, and the Germans were repulsed. They 
had retreated from Termonde to Alost, but the Belgian soldiers were 
already at Alost when the Germans arrived. Upon discovering that 
there were Belgian troops on the other side of the town, the Germans 
burned the houses on the other side. In all 18 houses were burned, 
and I saw them burning. Two civilians were mm-dered. I was about 
200 metres away from the German troops, and about 1000 metres 
from where the Belgian troops were. 

On the same day I saw the bodies of two men in the Binnenstraat. 
One of the dead men was taken into a cafe, and I went inside and saw 
his dead body, but did not see any wounds. I recognised the man. 
I also saw the body of the second dead man ; I recognised him 
also. 

On the next day (27th September) I saw a woman I knew who was 
speaking in the street to several people. She said that her husband 
had closed the door of his house on account of his children being afraid 
of the German soldiers. A German soldier then knocked at the door, 
and her husband came forward and asked pardon for closing the door, 
and said it Avas because his children were afraid. His pardon was not 
listened to, and he was at once shot dead. The Avoman and her 
children saAv him shot. He was about 50 yeaxs of age. He had, I 
believe, seven children, the eldest of whom is 17 years of age. 

I do not know any person at present in this country who can 
corroborate the above statement. There are very few people from 
Alost at present in England. 

On Saturday the 26th September the German soldiers were all 
about the toAvn. There were also some Belgian soldiers on the hill 
at the south side of the toAvoi. The Belgians had lifted the bridges, 
and forbidden civilians to cross. 

The Germans made prisoners of all the civilians they could find. 

The Germans made these civilians stand in front of them, and also 
carry a mitrailleuse and other weapons, until they were quite in 
front of the Belgian soldiers. When the Belgians saw that there 
were a number of civilians in front of the German troops they aimed 
above the civilians. 

The Germans afterwards retreated, and as they did so they fired 
12 houses in the Rue des Trois Clefs. I saw these houses fired. I 
saAv a man whom I knew (a civilian, unarmed, 27 years of age) try 
to escape from one of the houses which had been fired, and the Germans 
shot at him. I afterwards saw that he Avas killed. He had three 
bullet wounds. The three following persons were shot dead in the 
Rue des Trois Clefs by the Germans, after they had fired the houses, 
namely : — 

(Names given.) 

I afterwards saw their bodies, and recognised them. They were 
unarmed civilians. 



170 

_ On Sunday (27th September) I saw a heap of nine dead civilians 
lying in Rue de 1' Argent, who had been killed with bayonet woifnds. 
The wounds were in the neck, chest, and stomach, and some of the 
intestines of the men were protruding ; the clothes were cut, and 
blood could be seen. All of these men were known to me, and none 
of them had any weapons. Most of them were people who had hidden 
in cellars, and had been dragged out by soldiers. I know personally 
of 17 civilians who had not borne arms, or given any provocation 
whatever, being killed within the space of about 500 yards on the 
26th September. I had seen quite enough then, and I ran away. 

My own house was a public house, and the Germans broke into 
it and drank every bottle of liquor in the house. I found the empty 
bottles which they had taken from the house a few streets away. 
Nothing was left in the house. 



Married Woman. 
f 16 On Saturday, September 26th, we left our house because of the 

bombardment. On Sunday, the next day, we returned to our house 
at 6.15. We could not reach our house because the bridge over the 
river was broken down. Then we went to the house of a resident in 
Lender Straat, in Alost. We hid in his stable. When it was quiet, 
at about 2 o'clock, we came out. 

On Friday, September 25th, in the evening at 7 p.m. I saw seven 
German soldiers coming into the village shooting at the people coming 
back from work. I was standing at the door of my house. They 
were shooting at everyone. There were only men in the street ; there 
were not many except those coming back from work. One man was 
hit in the shoulder ; his christian name was T . . . None of them 
were armed, as the Belgian Government had told everyone to take 
any arms to the Town Hall. I saw no one firing at the Germans 
from anywhere. 

I think they were ordinary soldiers, not olScers. They turned 
people out of their houses and told them to hold their hands up. No 
one resisted. About nine or eleven were killed. This was on the 
Sunday. They were not stood up in a row in the morning, but shot 
.anywhere where they were found. I can give some of their names 
.(six names given), and some others besides. The shooting was on 
the Smiday when we were in the stable. There had been also shooting 
■on the Friday when the man was shot in the shoulder. My husband 
was hiding on the Friday in the house. 



Daughter op Previous Witness. 
'■* 17 ; I saw the men who were shot upon Sunday, September 27. We 
were about 20 metres off. We were on the same side of the river 
as the Germans were. We were hiding in the stable. My father 
and mother were there. The men were shot as they came out of their 
iouses. I did not see them shooting at the Germans. No resistance 
Tvas made. I did not see an officer there then. About nine or eleven 
were killed. My father was not threatened as he was hiding in the 
stable. A whole row of houses was burnt. 



Belgian Reeugbe. 

i 18 On Sunday morning, September 27th, at 7.15 a.m., the bombard- 

ment of Alost by the Germans began. The first bomb fell on the 
hospital. Two Red Cross flags flew from the latter. From the bridge 
over the Dendre runs the Rue du Pont-Neuf. My house is in that 



171 

part of Hert-Straat which is almost opposite the end of the Rue du 
Pont-Neuf, a little bit to the right. From my house I can look down 
the latter street. I went to the house of my wife's parents in the 
Rue des Trois Clefs. My wife was already there. From that house 
I saw Germans enter the houses of burghers opposite, and they broiight 
out of them 26 men. The soldiers went with these men nearly up to 
the New Bridge — ^that is the name of the bridge over the Dendre. 
The Belgian forces were immediately on the opposite side of the bridge. 
They fii'ed one shot in the air as a signal to the townspeople so that 
they might lie down and the Belgian soldiers could fire on the 
Germans. The burghers fell to the ground — ^they laid themselves on 
the ground. Two of the burghers were shot dead, I believe by the 
Belgian fire. 

The Belgians began to fire their mitrailleuses, and six German 
soldiers were killed. I remained all this time in the house of my 
parents-in-law. I could not see the firing which I have just described, 
but I heard about it from some of the 26 burghers. Shortly afterwards 
I saw German soldiers set fire to houses on the other side of the Rue 
des Trois Clefs. I saw them deliberately* go round with stuff — I 
cannot say whether it was petrol or naphtha — and set fire. Seventeen 
houses were burned. From the second last house I saw a young man, 
of 23 years about, jump from the roof. The house was burning. I 
saw German soldiers strike him with the butts of their guns after he 
had come to the ground. He was lying just near the footpath. 

Then an officer came into the house where I was. My wife, her 
parents, and her grandmother, 84 years of age, and I were there. All 
the women were downstairs in the kitchen on the ground floor. I was 
upstairs with my father-in-law and my youngest brother, 17 years of 
age. My little child, six months old, was in the kitchen with my 
wife, and there were also there a boy of seven years and a baby of four 
weeks. I was in the front room upstairs and I went into the back 
room. From there I saw all the women and children from downstairs 
being driven by the back door into the yard. The officer followed 
them, with a revolver pointed at them, into the yard. I saw" that. 
After they were out I heard my father-in-law call from the front room. 
I went back and saw German soldiers set fire to our house from the 
street. 

Just after the Germans withdrew I saw at the beginning of a private 
road just at the back of the yard of a house, a young burgher of 30 
years who had been shot in the back. We carried him away. He 
told us that he had taken to flight and that German soldiers had fired 
on him. 

On a yard to the right-hand side of our father-in-law's house, as 
one faces it, I saw that afternoon seven dead burghers. I heard that 
afternoon that several burghers had been shot further up the Rue 
des Trois Clefs. I know the names of all the dead seven bm-ghers 
whom I saw. One of them had his throat cut. I saw that. Another 
was battered about the head. I did not see any burghers on their 
knees in the street. I heard about that. It took place in another 
part of the town, in the Geldhof-Straat and on the path close by. 

On our side of the street where my father-in-law lives, I saw five 
burned-down houses. I saw several others. The principal part of 
the town of Alost lies on the other side of the Dendre, not on the side 
of what I have been speaking. 

Beigian Refugee. 
The Germans entered Alost in the end of August and were billeted f 19 
upon the town and behaved very well. They left after a week or so. 
They were the 86th Regiment. Troops continually passed through. 



172 

On September 26th, Saturday, the Belgians entered Alost and drove 
the Germans across the canal. The Germans shelled the town' the 
next day. I was attached to the Red Cross, and in the morning I 
was ordered to go across the canal and look for the wounded on the 
other side. There were no Belgian soldiers that side. I crossed by 
the foot-bridge and went to De Planyer's factory. From that build- 
ing I looked out at the window. I saAv a man I knew leave his house 
in the Rue des Trois Clefs, and I saw him shot in the street, the soldier 
was about 10 yards off or less. The factory is the width of the road 
from the end of the Rue des Trois Clefs. I saw another man killed 
also in this road. A neighbour told me afterwards he had tried to 
escape through his garden. I saw several corpses lying in the street. 
I saw these two shot. We could not attempt to enter the street, and 
I saved mj^^self through the building and crossed the canal in a little 
boat with several others, and fled from Alost. I saw houses burning 
in the Rue des Trois Clefs. I saw the Germans throwing little bombs 
into the houses. 

.Married Woman. 
f 20 My house was situated on the canal- side. On or about September 

27th last the Germans began bombarding our town. 

With me in the house were my husband, my daughter Hortense, 
• my niece, my son Joseph, and my mother, aged 83. 

German soldiers came and knocked at our door. My husband 
opened the door. I heard an offcer giving commands. Two soldiers 
seized my husband,- dragged him outside, and pointed to three bodies 
of German soldiers. They said to my husband, " You have got to 
pay for this." One soldier thereupon bayoneted my husband in the 
leg, so I was informed later, but I heard my husband shout as if in 
pain. I have not seen him again, and do not know whether he is 
alive or not. After my husband had been seized, I, my mother and 
my niece went to the cellar, my daughter and son ran out of the house 
terrified. I had to leave the cellar because the Germans set my house 
on fire. In the street I saw soldiers shooting civiHans and I saw many 
bodies in the street. I saw some civilians hit on the head by the 
butt ends of rifles, others were bayoneted. I think there were about 
37 bodies and one was a girl (name given). I saw the body of a boy, 
aged about 16, lying on the ground, with both hands cut off. Previous 
to that I had seen axes in the hands of German soldiers. I also saw 
the body of a boy about 12. The bodies were those mostly of my 
neighbours. I also saw nine bodies of Belgian men tied together. 
I knew some of them. I left Alost the next day and went to Ghent. 
[Corroborated by another witness.] 



Belgian Refugee. 
f 21 I am a mechanic and lived in Alost. The Germans entered in 

August and behaved very well. On Saturday, September 26th, the 
Germans were driven out by the Belgians. I was standing near 
the bridge in front of the Rue de Bruxelles. I was fifty yards from 
the Boulevard Albert, there were meadows between us. I saw a 
friend of mine, trjdng to scale a wall to escape from the Germans, 
who were retiring along the Boulevard Albert. A German soldier 
beckoned to him to come down and when he came, stabbed him in 
the throat with a bayonet. He died, I saw the corpse half an hour 
later. The number of the German regiment was 85, I saw their 
helmets. I also saw a man whom I did not know trying to put out 
a fire in the curtain of his house. I saw a German shoot him. I saw 
his corpse also. It was clear, I could recognise the former man while 
he was being shot. I knew him well. 



173 

Belgian Refugee, 

There had been fighting between the Belgian and German armies, f 22 
•on Saturday, September 26th. The Belgians — some of the Belgian 
army — were in Alost dming Saturday night, and on Sunday morning 
■early the Germans entered. The river Dendre flows through Alost. 
I live on the left-hand side of the Dendre as one goes along the high 
road to Brussels. The pi'incipal part of the town is on the other side 
of the river. I counted about 500 German soldiers who entered the 
town on my side of the river on the Sunday morning. Thej^ were all 
foot-soldiers, and some waggons, bearing the Red Cross, but in reality 
carrjing material of all kinds for the horses, &c. It was about seven 
o'clock in the morning when I saw them. I lived with my brother 
and his two daughters and two sons. One of his daughters, a third 
one, is married. She and her husband and child were in our house 
that morning. We were about to have coffee. We all ran out of • 
the house to the house of my brother's sister-in-law in the same 
•street. My brother's youngest daughter had only under-clothing 
on as we ran oub. 

Ten minutes later three German Infantry soldiers came into the 
Iiouse. The door was not locked. We were in the back room on 
the ground floor. In the front room there was an old man. The 
soldiers came into the back room and cried to us in German to hold 
up our arms. We all did it instant 1}^, and then they searched us 
all singly. They ]3i^it us out of the house on to the street. Other 
soldiers were standing there. It was only we men — there were 22 
■of us — whom they j)^^it out of the house. On the street they made 
Tis stand against the wall holding up our hands over our heads the 
whole time. The soldiers then shouted to us " right about turn, 
march," and made us walk 500 or 600 metres further up with our arms 
up the Avhole time. Then thej^ told us to sit down on the ground. 
Then an officer came to us and said " That is the punishment." I 
asked him " for what ? " He answered, " because the inhabitants of 
Alost fired on our soldiers yesterday evening." I said, " That is not 
true. There was not a single shot fired by the inhabitants yesterday 
evening. I was through the town yesterday evening and I did not 
hear a single shot." He lifted his gun as if to strike me and called 
me '■ Du Schweine-Hund ! " and other names. The Germans then 
began to move on. They started the horses and waggons, which, 
as I said, bore the Red Cross. I could distinctly see that there were 
no wounded, but only material in the waggons and I think this was 
a device to mislead the Belgian army. We had to follow the waggons 
Tvith the other soldiers. Three hundred metres further they placed 
us — and another man whom they had also taken prisoner on the way — 
between two houses. The German soldiers then stood in front of 
us and shook their guns at us and called us " Schweine-Hunde ! " 
a,nd other names, and said, " wait only five minutes and you'll be 
dead ! " There were officers about. 

All this time there was fighting going on in the other part of the 
town between the Belgians and the Germans. The Germans were 
"being driven back. A wounded German officer came up towards the 
place where we were standing. Some of the inhabitants brought a 
chair out of a house for him and he sat down on it. After that the 
German soldiers began shooting inhabitants in all directions. They 
went into the houses and shot some in their houses and others they 
•shot in the street. Women were moving about at the time. Several 
of them passed us and they said to us how frightful it was — that 
so-and-so and so-and-so had been shot, and various others while taking 
to flight. Thej^ mentioned the names of several. I cannot remember 
them ; but one I do remember, C. v D . . ., a workman whom I knew. 
He had a wife and eight children. He was shot in the street at^the 



174 

time of which I am speaking. My brother's wife saw his corpse. I 
know of 21 who were killed that morning in different manners — ^ome 
with the bayonet, some struck down with blows, and several shot. 

The Belgian soldiers had come nearer, and when the Germans 
turned to fire on them most of us, 23 men, crept away amongst the 
womenfolk and escaped in that way. I know of 20 who escaped 
thus. I cannot say about the other three. 

British Journalist. 

f23 On September 26th I visited Termonde and x\udegem. At Ter- 

monde I saw only two houses standing, of which I took a photograph, 

■ which I can produce. On the door of these houses was written in 

chalk " Gute Leute schonen." I was told by the Assistant Minister 

for War, v/hose name I forget, that these were the houses of prosti- 

' tutes. I was told this also by another man. At Audegem I saw the 

dead bodies, lying near the church, of two men, a woman and a young 

girl. The men were civilians and unarmed when I saw them. They 

had all been killed with bayonet wounds. 

Near Alost I took from the rifle of a dead German a saw-edged 
bayonet which is still in my possession. The saw edge extends right 
to the point. 

I was at Alost during the bombardment. A Belgian lieutenant, 
who was in charge of a mitrailleuse section stationed at a cafe which 
commanded a swing bridge over the canaHsed river Dendre, told me 
that about an hour before we arrived at the cafe the Germans had 
approached along the road leading over the bridge which his mitrailleuse 
commanded. The swing bridge was open so that the Germans could 
not cross by it. The heutenant told me that the Germans came on, 
driving in front of them a number of civilians (men) and that he wass 
unable to fire until the civilians came close to the bridge, when he 
fired over their heads at the Germans behind. The Germans were 
forced to retreat, but before doing so they had killed the civihans. 
This they did as soon as the lieutenant^ fired his mitrailleuse. I 
crossed the canal by means of barges, and went to the place where 
the dead bodies of the civilians were lying and saw them °myseJf . 
There were about eight or nine altogether. Some had been shot 
from behind, others bayoneted. One man had been bayoneted in 
the chest. This man was a butcher. He was wearing a chequered 
jumper or overall. He was hatless and bootless, and appeared to have 
been brought straight from his house. The bayonet wounds had 
evidently been made with saw-edged bayonets, judging from the 
character of the wounds which I saw. 

Belgian Soldier. 
f 24 I was at Alost when the Germans were driven out by the Belgians- 

I was informed that when the Germans retreated a number of civilians 
were taken by the Germans out of a cafe and killed. I saw a number 
of dead bodies outside the cafe in the road, about nine in number ; 
one about 17 years of age had 11 bayonet wounds in his left breast 
and an old man had his throat cut and his head was nearly cut off. 

Belgian Refugee. 
25 On the 28th September or thereabouts I was in my house. The 

Germans — an advanced guard — came into my street. I went into- 
the cellar. They set fire to the houses. After the burning had been 
finished I went into the street. I saw two bodies of men. They 
were dead. One of them I knew, the other I did not know. I saw 
bayonet wounds on both. It w€is nearly 8.30 p.m. when I saw them 
with the aid of a lantern. 



175 

Belgia-N Refugee. 

At the latter end of September the German troops entered Alost. f 26 

They did no harm there but they took away about 25 men of all Erpe. 
ages (no picking out of men of fighting age) and marched them to 
Erpe, a village about half-an-hour's walk from Alost. I was not one 
of them, but I followed to Erpe. 

The Belgian troops were near Erpe and the Germans, when they 
entered it, set fire to the houses This was in the afternoon of the day 
that the 25 men were taken from Alost. 

When the houses in Erpe were fired, the males, as they ran out of 
them, were shot, about half a dozen in all. I saw this. 

Later the same day Belgian troops approached Erpe and there 
was fighting between them and the Germans. 

The Germans placed in front of their line all the (25) men taken 
from Alost and fired their rifles at the Belgians between the prisoner's 
legs and some half a dozen of the latter were killed by Belgians. I saw 
this. 

Belgian Refugee. 

About a fortnight before I left Alost the Germans burned some f 27 
houses at a large village called Erpe — a village with about 4,000 in 
habitants — about half an hour from Alost. They burned these houses 
towards 1.30 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. I saw about 10 in- 
habitants who had fled from Erpe at the time of the burning. They 
were mostly women and children. They passed my house. They were 
crying and they were carrying bed-clothes and other property. Others 
fled in other directions. 



THE USE OF CIVILIANS AS A SCREEN 

Armourer. 

On the 12th or 13th August I was on the heights above the Meuse. g 1 

I saw, about 200 yards away, the Germans making men and children 
march in front of them and pass between the Forts of Pontisse and 
Fleron, in which the Belgian soldiers then were. The Belgian com- 
mander observed the civilians near the Fort of Fleron, and as a result, 
the Belgian soldiers did not dare to fire upon them. I was informed 
Iby several, whose names I caimot give, that none of the civiHans were 
injm'ed by the Germans. I saw the civilians in front of the German 
troops when I was near Vise. They were being physically forced along 
by the Germans. I could see no women, but I could see that the men 
were civilians. 

Belgian Soldier. 

I was in charge of a patrol of 12 men guarding Aerschot during § 2 
the retreat of our own troops to Antwerp. It was at four in the 
morning on August 19th. I was on guard about 600 metres beyond 
the railway gates on the Tirlemont road, at a mill. The road had 
houses along one side, and houses and a wood and fields on the other. 
The Germans arrived from Tirlemont. As they arrived I withdrew 
■with my patrol to the railway gates. The road was commanded by 
two mitrailleuses posted at the gates. As the Germans advanced I 
saw two women and five children walking along the road 50 metres 
ahead of the German cavalry, who were in their advance. We could 
not fii-e the mitrailleuses as we should have hit them. One of the 
women was hit by one of the Belgian riflemen. The women told the 
commander when they arrived at our post that the Germans had forced 
them to leave their houses and walk in front of the troops. I was 
standing by the commander at the time and heard this said. 



176 

British Soldier, • 

g 3 On 22nd August I was with my regiment on the retreat from Mons 

and that evening I saw marching towards us, in front of German troops 
who were following us, some half dozen Belgian colliers carrying 
colliery lamps. 

We could not fire at the pursuing Germans except through these 
colliers and apparently they were placed where they were to prevent 
us firing. 

They did not approach nearer than some 800 yards to our line :. 
but it was a light evening and I could see them plainly with the naked 
eye. They seemed to have just left their work and to be carrying the 
lamps on their way home. 

British Officer. 
g4 During the retreat from Mons I was in command of my double 

company at Cuesmes, a suburb at the south of Mons, and I had a barri- 
cade erected across a main thoroughfare leading from Mons in order 
to check the advancing German troops and cover our retreat. German 
troops approached the barricade in force and my men opened fire on 
them. This broke them up and they took refuge in houses on either 
side of the road. Then they wanted to get out again and reach a cross- 
road at their rear and so escape the line of our fire. To enable them, 
to reach this cross-road they sent civilians from the houses on each 
side of the main road holding white flags, under cover of which the 
Germans attempted to get from the main road into the cross-road at 
the rear. There was nothing for it but to order my men to continue 
firing, which they did and accounted for a good many of the Germans. 
To what extent the civilians suffered I cannot say. 

British Officer, 
g 5 On Sunday, August 23, my company was ordered to throw a barri- 

cade across a road leading from the south of Mons. When we had. 
finished we waited for the advance of the Germans. Some civilians, 
reported to us that they were coming down a road in front of us.. 
On looking in that direction we saw, instead of German troops, a crowd 
of civilians — men, women and children — waving white handkerchiefs; 
and being pushed down the road in front of a large number of German 
troops. I have no doubt whatever that the Germans had dehberately 
put these civilians in front of themselves for the purpose of protecting 
themselves from our fire, and had compelled them to wave their hand- 
kerchiefs for the same object. The Germans could not have advanced 
apart from the protection afforded them by the civilians, as the street 
was quite straight and commanded by our rifle fire at a range of about 
700 to 800 yards. The civilians were driven in front of the German 
troops until the latter reached a side street into which they disappeared^ 

British Soldier. 
g 6 I was behind a barricade in an avenue in Mons on August 23rd,. 

the first day when fighting with the British force began. The Scottish., 
had been fighting with Germans outside and came back past us, and 
warned us that the Germans were wearing English military top-coats.. 
We saw the Germans coming on in English top-coats, and for a long 
time it was doubtful whether they were Germans, They first took 
shelter in some houses on the left. Eventually when the Germans; 
advanced down the avenue they placed women and children in front 
of them. They came on as it were in mass, with the women and 
children massed in front of them. They seemed to be pushing them 
on, and I saw them shoot down women and childaren who refused to 



177 

march. Up to this my orders had been not to fire, but when we saw 
women and children shot my sergeant said " It's too heartrending," 
and gave orders to fire, which we did. The Germans dispersed again 
out of the roadwaj^, and several women and children got away, and we 
then had orders to retire from our barricade and I saw no more of this 
advance. 

British Soldier. 
On 24th August last my regiment was at Mons retiring before the g 7 
Germans . When we got to one end of the town we threw up a barricade 
against the enemy and we were able to hold it for about half an hour. 
After leaving it we got separated, I and about 20 others from our 
company, and the enemy advanced against us. I saw that they had 
collected a number of women and children, I cannot say how manj^, 
from the houses in the town and they placed them in front of the 
German soldiers in order to prevent us from firing on them. They 
would be 100 to 150 yards away from us. I could see that the Germans 
had their bayonets fixed and pointed to the backs of the women and 
children to make them adva^nce. 

British Soldier. 
I saw at Mons the Germans advancing on hands and knees towards g 8 

our position in the trenches ; they were in close formation and had a 
line of women and children in front of their front rank. They were 
about 900 to 1,000 j^ards away. Our orders at that time were not to 
tire on civilians in front of the enemy. The time never came, so far as 
I am concerned, for seeing what happened as we were (Ordered to re- 
treat, and we did not expend any ammunition after I saw this. Fight- 
ing was, of course, going on elsewhere. 

Belgian Refugee. 

In Mons, on the 34th Sunday in the year (Sunday, 23rd- August), g 9 

I saw 200 Belgian civilians taken prisoners by the Germans. There 
was a battle going on at the time between the English and the Germans, 
and the Germans used the Belgian civilians as a screen to prevent the 
English from firing. I was standing in the rue de la Bece (?) (Bisse). 
The Germans were coming down a main street the name of which I do 
not know. The English were in the streets all around. I saw some 
of the Belgians killed ; six of them were shot by the Germans because 
they tried to get away. I cannot say what happened to the rest of 
them . They continued marching in front of the Germans until they got 
out of my sight. The Belgians Vv^ere men of all ages ; there were no 
women or children. 

On the date of the first engagement at Termonde, about a fortnight 
later, I saw 12 civilians taken prisoners by the Germans. One of them 
was a little lame boy who could not keep up. His name was J . . .; 
he worked as a smith. The Germans struck him with the butt end of 
their rifles all over, and especially on his bad leg, to make him hurry up. 
One of these 12 civilians retiu-ned, and I saw him at his house later on. 
He told me that he had never seen the other 11 since that day. That 
was a week after the day when I had seen him walking with the 11 
others. He said that he pretended to be very ill, and fell down on the 
road, and that the Germans let him lie there. This was how he escaped. 

British Soldier. 
Royal Engineers : — Outside Mons, during the first day of the g 10 
retreat, we were retreating through the village — -the name of which 
I cannot tell you. Our infantry were between us and a point where 
another road met the one on which we were ; German troops came 
down this other road, holding up white flags driving civihans in front 



178 

of them. At 300 yards distance from our infantry they dropped the 
flags and drove the civilians on to one side, they opened fire on om^ 
infantry. 

Beitish Soldier. 
g 11 I was serving with my battahon at Mons. On the 24th of August 

we were retiring from the direction of Mons. We were marching 
along a road in close formation. We were under fire from the enemy's 
batteries in a wood on our front and between us and Mons. About 
700 or 800 yards to our left front I noticed a party of Germans about 
600 strong. They were not entrenched, neither did I see them retiring 
or advancing. They were in an open position and were under a 
heavy shell fire from our batteries, which kept up an incessant fire 
the whole time. About 300 yards behind and to the right of the 
Germans was a small village. I saw a large number of civilians, men, 
women, and children, standing in front of the Germans. It was 
about 11 o'clock a.m. I saw some men, women, and children actually 
brought into the front of the German position from the village. They 
were being pushed along by Germans. One old man was very old 
and bent. I noticed two women in particular who had two or possibly 
three children and they were holding them close in as if to shield 
them. One of the women had a blue apron on. Altogether I suppose 
there were 16 to 20 women there, about a dozen children, and "half 
a dozen men. I was in the last file and I kept on looking round as 
we were retiring. It would be about 10 minutes between the time 
when I first and last saw the civilians in this position in front of the 
Germans. About two minutes after I first saw the women, children, 
and men in front of the Germans I noticed that the British batteries 
who had been firing on the Germans ceased firing. I saw five or 
six of the guns (which had been between us and the Germans) limber 
up and gallop round to the Germans' right flank, and from this position 
open fire on the Germans again. They were able to do this without 
running the risk of hurting the civilians because in this position they 
were well round the flank. The Germans then bolted, leaving the 
civilians behind. I saw all this as we were retreating along the road. 
We all saw it and were talking about the incident as we marched 
along. This statement has been read over by me and is correct. 

British Soldier. 
g 12 On 24th August, between 8.30-9.30, I was behind a barricade 

I had assisted to build during the previous night across one of the 
streets in Frameries. Some Germans approached us in small bodies 
at first, apparently as scouts. Then about 20 women and children 
and some oldish men came from the bottom of the street. They 
were fully dressed, some had hats and jackets and bundles. They 
formed a sort of cordon. I say they were not flying in panic before 
the Germans because of this sort of order and because when they 
were motioned to draw to the side by one of our own men they were 
fired on by the Germans from behind for doing so. I should think 
50 people were shot down. In some cases the children had been 
walking, in others they were carried by the women. 

British Soldier. 
gl3 August 24th, I was with my section at Frameries in a side street 

behind a barricade. I saw about 30 women partially dressed, some 
with babies in their arms. They were crying. A large body of 
Germans were just behind them. The women formed a screen. The 
women had the appearance of having been hastily collected. I say 
so because they were only partially dressed and carried nothing 
as refugees always did. My whole section considered they were 



179 

being used by the Germans as a screen. As tliey came round the 
corner I was called away. This was 7-8 a.m. 

British Soldier. 

I was with my regiment during the retreat of the British forces g 14 
between Landrecies and Guise in August last. 

During the retreat I was in charge of eight men, acting as a flank 
guard near the village of Bone,* when I saw a party of women and 
children coming towards us along a road. 

Immediately behind them were aboiit eight Uhlans of the German 
Army, who were pushing the women and children along in front of 
them. The latter were screaming. I am certain they were being 
forced along in the position they occupied and were not in front of 
the Germans by chance or accidentally. 

I at once reported the position of matters to Ca-ptain H ... of 
my regiment. 

He investigated the position and found it impossible to attack 
the Uhlans without injuring the women and children. He, therefore, 
with the eight men and myself, worked round the Uhlans' flank. 
We opened fire and killed three of them. The others were driven 
round to the rear of our battalion and shot there. 

We found that the civilian party consisted of seven or eight 
w^omen and five or six very young children. They were terrified, 
and it was plain to me that they were being used as a screen for the 
Germans whilst they were reconnoitring our position. 

Belgian Soldier. 
On a Tuesday, August 25th, about, I was with other comrades in g 15 
a wood during the retreat from Namur. We were making for Philippe- 
ville to rejoin the regiment. When we arrived the regiment had 
gone. We made on to Marienbourg. On the way between the two 
places we saw, on a road which joined ours, the Uhlans, who were 
coming from the direction of Philippe ville. We saw them stopping 
on the road several country people who were trying to take to flight. 
They forced them to march in front of them. There were six or 
seven to whom they did this. They were about 100 metres or a 
little less from us. They fired on us. We were about 50 men. Some 
of us had guns and would have fired back if they had not feared that 
they might hit the country people. I had no gun. There were only 
about 20 or 25 Uhlans. 

Belgian Soldier. 

At the first battle in which I was engaged, which took place at g 16 
Malines, I saw the Germans advancing against us with a number of 
Belgian civihans in front of them. There were about 60 or 80 of 
them in all, and there were women amongst them, but the men were 
made to go in front. 

Our infantry did not fii'e on the civilians, biit let the whole body 
come on until they could fire on their flanks, and then they separated 
the civilians from the Germans. I cannot say whether any of the 
civilians were shot. We took the civilians and put them behind our 
lines. 

Belgian Soldier. 

After the Germans occupied Louvain, I was near Malines ; and g 17 
one day I saw a large number of civilians — about 400 — old men, 
women, and children, being driven forward towards the Belgian 
outposts by German soldiers with fixed bayonets. The cure of 
Campenhout was in front with a white flag. Our soldiers had to 
shoot, but not much. The civihans began to sing the BrabanQonne 

* ? Bohain. 



18 



180 

to show their nationality and stop the shooting. I was told by some 
of these civilians that the Germans told them not to look rourfd ; if 
they did, they would be shot. They were beaten forward by rifle- 
butts — not bayonets. These people came half from Campenhout (a 
village) and half from Malines. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I was serving with my regiment at Elewyt near Malines. It was 
just at the begimiing of the attack on Malines, but I cannot give the 
date nearer than that. We were covering the retreat of other forces. 
At about 10 o'clock a.m. we saw a number of Belgian women, men, 
and children in front of the Germans. Thera were quite 20 v/omen and 
some of them with babies in their arms. They were about 1,000 yards 
away. There were about 50 Belgian men. I cannot say how many 
children, but there were some. We did not fire on the Germans, 
but they were fired on by troops on our right and left. We were 
forced to retreat by their heavy artillery. Some of the Belgians 
escaped and told us that the Germans had compelled the men, women, 
and children to go in front of them. I spoke to one of them at Lierre 
and he told me this, and that he had come from Elewyt. 

Belgian Soldiee. 
g 19 On the 2nd of September we were holding a village called Caen.* 

At 6 a.m. I saw the Germans advancirg. There were about three 
companies of them. Thej^ had a number of Belgian prisoners in 
front of them. We were in the houses of the village. They were 
being pushed along by the Germans. They were advancing each side 
of the road. When I saw them the Germans were about 40 yards 
away. The prisoners were tied by the wrists in groups of six. The 
Germans were firing on us as they advanced behind the prisoners. 
We returned the fire. The fight lasted about 10 minutes and we 
then retreated. The Germans lost about 60 men and 30 of the 
prisoners were hit. The prisoners belonged to the 8th and 13th 
regiments. I should say there were about 200 of them. We were 
28 men holding Caen and we had four mitrailleuses. 

Belgian Soldier. 
g 20 At the beginning of September my company was attacking the 

Germans, who were in the villa,ge of Eppeghem. During the after- 
noon by about 4 p.m., we had driven the Germans out of the village 
and had ourselves gone through the village. The Germans were 
retreating under our fire. When we got the other side of the village 
we found that the Germans had a large number of civilians standing 
in front of them. There v/as a very large force of Germans. We 
had seen no male civilians in the village as we passed through, with 
the exception of two v/ho had been killed. The civilians appeared 
to be making no attempts to get away from in front of the Germans. 
They were standing just in front of the Germans who were not holding 
them. In order to avoid hitting the civilians, we tried to get round 
the German flanks, but we were unsuccessful. The Germans were 
able to retreat, keeping the civilians still between them and us. I saw 
none of the civilians fall, but one of the village women told me as 
we were going through the village that the Germans had taken 186 men 
from the village and had killed the two whose bodies we saw because 
thej refused to follow. Shortly after this we were forced to retire 
ourselves. We were entrenched between the forts at Willebroeck. 
At about 4 p.m. we were engaged with the Germans in front of the 
trenches, and after a fight lasting about an hour-and-a-half we were 
driven back. We had to leave six of our wounded behind. I saw 



181 

the Germans go up and bayonet these six men. They were about 
200 metres in front of me when I saw this, and were crawling, trying 
to get away after having abandoned their rifles. They were aU in 
a, bunch and I saw several Germans bayonet each man with several 
thrusts each. We fu-ed on the Germans and they were all hit. We 
went out shortly after the Germans had been driven off and found 
that the men had all been kiUed. 

Belgian Soldier. 
About the 2nd of September my regiment was retiring before the g 21 
Germans upon Mahnes. We had heard from an air scout that the 
Germans were advancing with children in front of them. At about 
7 p.m. we were about 300 metres from Mahnes and I saw a regiment 
of German infantry advancing along the road. There were about 
10 children in front of them. They were about 500 metres from me. 
The children were roped together in two rows with a German each side 
of the row. They appeared to be from seven to nine years of age and 
reached uj) to the height of the Germans' chests. The Germans were 
firing upon us as they advanced in this way. They were advancing 
in column formation. We fired on them and aimed so as to avoid 
Mtting the children. 

Belgian Soldier. 

In the month of September my regiment was at Londerzeel, near g 22 
Malines. The Germans had occupied Londerzeel before us. When 
we entered the village we saw two girls of about 18 or 20 years old. 
They told us that some hours before the Germans had come to their 
house and had endeavoured to seize and violate them. Their father 
liad interfered and had been killed by the Germans by a bayonet. The 
two girls had escaped while their father was being killed. They came 
back later and found that their father had been already buried. They 
dug him up again and they showed us his body. There was a big 
wound in the breast which must have been made by a bayonet. 

Two or three days after this incident we were retiring from Londer- 
zeel in the direction of Malines. The Germans were attacking us and 
at the head of one of their columns they placed a number of men, 
women and children of the Belgian civilian population. There were 
perhaps 30 or 40 of them altogether. We ceased firing when we saw 
there were civilians in front. The Germans came with these people 
up to about 200 metres from us. We were pushed back and the 
civilians fled in all directions and the battle went on. One of the 
civilians was shot in the arm. It Avas about five minutes that we saw 
these civilians in front of the Germans, they were being pushed along. 

Belgian Refugee. 
Some time in September I left Antoing alone to go to Tournai. g 23 
The reason I left was because the Germans entered Antoing. I left 
as the advance guard entered. I think they consisted of Death's 
Head Hussars. They came into Antoing and asked at once for 
the station and post office, of Avhich they took possession. I was 
taken prisoner on the road from. Antoing to Tournai by the same body 
^/vho had entered the town, they having overtaken me. I was taken 
to Tournai, Avhere there were about 400 civilian Belgian prisoners — 
men, women and children. A fight took place there between French 
and Germans. All the prisoners above referred to, including myself, 
Avere marched in front of the German forces to act as a screen. Two 
of these Avho did not move quickly enough Avere shot by the Germans. 
I AA'as with the Germans for nine days, after which I escaped and made 
my way to Namur, and by stages to Ostend, and from there to 
England. 



182 

Belgian Soldier. ♦ 

g24 On the 10th September I was at Termonde and in the trenches 

awaiting the Germans. The battle commenced at noon and at about 
2 o'clock we saw a number of Germans, about 600, who had with 
them about 10 or 15 Belgian civihans. They had placed the Belgian 
civilians in front of them and then advanced on our trench. We had 
to fire because there were German soldiers with them. Many of the 
civilians were shot by us. There were some women with these 
civilians and some of these were wounded also. I spoke afterwards 
to one of the women who were with these German soldiers and she 
told me that there was one young man who refused to be taken with 
the German soldiers and brought up to our trench. The Germans 
thereupon killed this young fellow with their bayonets. That same 
evening the whole of the village was burnt. These people came from 
St. Gilles, which is near Termonde. When these civihans were shot, 
as I have mentioned above, the Germans came to within 300 or 400 
metres of our trench. They were beaten back and we were the victors 
in this particular fight. The fight went on until about 7 o'clock in the 
evening. There were about 400 Germans killed or wounded and not 
one of the Belgian soldiers was wounded. We were well entrenched. 
The Germans had no machine guns with them. 

I have never heard any reason given for the civilians being brought 
up to our trench in this way. Eeasons are given sometimes by the 
Germans for these acts, the chief one being that the civilian population 
have been firing upon them, but I never heard this reason given for this 
particular case. I cannot say whether I actually shot one of these 
civilians myself. For the most part we were given an order for " feu 
rapide," which means that we are each of us to fire as fast as we can, 
but not in volleys. 

Belgian Refugee. 
g 25 During the battle of Alost the Germans came to our place. They 

took me prisoner on the Chaussee de Gand at Alost, and took me to 
Oordegem. They made me hold up my hands and keep them up all 
the way. It took two hours to get there. There were five or six other 
prisoners. 

We stopped at Oordegem for 24 hours in a street near the church. 
We had nothing to eat or drink during this time. There were two 
women with us. I do not know the names of my fellow prisoners. 
The Germans picked them up as they went along. 

Between Alost and Oordegem I saw lots of houses burnt by the 
Germans. They broke the windows and threw little contrivances 
through the holes. I do not know what the contrivances were made 
of ; the house flamed up at once. I saw at least 50 houses burnt. 
About 5 o'clock in the evening the Germans let us go. I went off in 
the direction of mj^ house which was an hour and a half's walk. 
Between Oordegem and Cherscamp I fell in v/ith 4,000 or 5,000 Germans 
They cried " Up." I held up my hands. They then took me to 
Courtrai, where all the houses had been burnt. The Germans and 
Belgians were fighting round about there. The Germans drove me 
and many other Belgians in the direction of the fighting, to screen 
them. 

After the battle the Germans took me and manj^ other Belgians 
to make holes to bury the Germans in. They were saying all the 
time, " Quicker, quicker," threatening us with their revolvers and 
bayonets. I understand a little German. Afterwards the Germans 
made signs that we might go, and we cleared out as quick as we 
could. 



183 

Belgian Soldier. 
I was with mj' battalion in the trenches at Willebroeck, the first g 26 
hne of the fortifications of Antwerp, about the 25th of September. 
The 35th Regiment of the fine (I tore off the epaulettes of one of the 
officers who was killed and I saw the number of the regiment) advanced 
against us over some flat land, in line, about a yard separating each 
man, crawling on hands and knees. The Germans seemed to have 
started from a wood on the right, and I saw distinctly from a, distance 
of 200 3"ards that there were some women and children in front of the 
first line. I noticed particularly in all foiir children, one woman and 
one old man in civilian middle-class dress. They were walking up- 
right, each of them in front of a German soldier, and between the 
Germans and us. It was in the afternoon, and I saw some officers of the 
German regiment, and they could not help seeing the women and 
cliildren. For instance, one officer fell dead quite close to where one 
of the children was. During the advance I saw that the woman 
refused to advance. She turned round, and showed her back to us, 
and I saw the German who was creeping behind her give her two 
thrusts with the bayonet upwards towards the breast. At the second 
thrust she fell. We could hear her cries ; we did not fire upon either 
the woman or the children, but we kept up fire upon the soldiers who 
were not covered by them. One of the children, who seemed about 
4 or 5 years of age, ran towards the woman when she fell, and the 
soldier behind him shot him, placing the muzzle of his rifle upon the 
child's temple, and half the head was blown away before my eyes. 
Our regiment left the trenches and attacked with the bayonet, and 
drove the Germans back. Their losses were very heavy. 

Belgian Soldier. 

Towards the end of September I was on patrol duty with two other i fg 27 j'| 
men between Lierre and Aerschot. We were about 5 kilometres from 
Aerschot and some distance in front of our main body. I saw a 
cyclist patrol of Germans coming down the road ahead of me. They 
were about a mile away when I first saw them. They had civilians in 
front of them when I saw them. There were about 10 of them. I 
think there were more men than women. They were not being held 
by the Germans in any way. The Germans immediately opened fire 
on us. We did not fire because of hitting the civilians. They only 
fired two or three shots at us. We retreated. 

We were in Aerschot some 15 days previously. The Germans had 
left Aerschot two or three days before we entered. At the entrance 
of the village all the houses were burnt. In two of the houses I saw 
charred corpses of people. I only walked past in the road, so do not 
know the sex of the corpses. 

Belgian Refugee. 

On Sunday, September 27th, between 9 and 10 a.m., I saw the g28 
Germans in Alost take 37 civilians (all men) and put them in front of 
their soldiers and make them march forward so that if the Belgians 
fired on th6 German troops they would necessarily kill the Belgian 
eivihans first. I myseK saw the bodies of two of these civilians in 
the afternoon of the same day who had been shot, as well as three 
German soldiers. 

Belgian Soldier. 

I was Avouncled at Nazareth on the 7th October. I was taken to the g 29 
military hospital at Ghent. I was wounded whilst in a house in 
Nazareth. We were firing through the doors and windows. I was 
wounded in the shoulder. There were five of us in the house, and two 
were wounded. The three unwounded got away leaving me and 



184 

L . . .* behind. I was lying on the floor in the ground-floor room. 
A large number of Germans came into the house. Some of them came 
into the room and saw us wounded. Twenty or twenty-five Germans 
at least saw us. They went out of the room almost immediately, and 
10 minutes after we saw that the house was on fire. As soon as we 
saw the smoke we got up and got out of the window. As soon as we 
got out of the house we were taken prisoner by the Germans who were 
still outside. The Belgian reinforcements were coming up and the 
Germans placed us in front of them so that the Belgians should not fire. 
The Germans retreated and we seized our opportunity and escaped 
by jumping into a ditch. L . . . was wounded in both hands. When 
the Germans came into the house he was standing with his wounded 
hands in the air. Whilst we were prisoners with the Germans they 
searched L . . , and found 80 francs, which they took. The arrival 
of the Belgian reinforcements prevented their searching me. The 
German troops were Uhlans. 

Belgian Soldier. 
g 30 At the beginning of October the Germans were about to attack us 

at Termonde ; we were entrenched behind a river. They were about 
300 metres off. They forced 10 or 12 civilians — men and women — 
to march in front of their line when they were attacking. They beat 
them forward with the butt ends of their rifles. We could not fire 
and had to retreat in consequence. I saw four or five of the civilians 
shot from behind by the Germans ; none of our men were firing at this 
time ; we were an advance post, without supports right and left of us. 

Belgian Soldier. 

g 31 Abo.ut the 9th of October I was near Lokeren in a trench with my 

company guarding a road near a railway. The Germans were ad- 
vancing to attack us, and were firing on us. I should think there were 
about 150 of them — a whole company. They had about 20 civilians 
in front of them — men, women and children. I cannot say how many 
of each, but there were more women and children than men, and some 
of the women had babies in their arms. When we first saw them they 
were about 300 yards away. We retreated out of the trench because 
we could not fire on them. They (the Germans) fired between the 
civilians. The Germans were about 150 yards away when we began 
to retire. We were able to retire in good order, as there were some 
deserted houses quite near the trenches to shelter us. We had no 
soldiers on either flank to attack the Germans without killing the 
civilians. No civilians were actually killed by the Germans as far 
as I know — I do not think any of my company were hit by the Germans 
during this incident. 

British Soldier. 

g 32 About 16th October I was near Thielt. We were marching across 

country searching, sweeping the ground. Just before dusk we heard 
firing and bullets whizzing over us. We were a platoon about 30 
strong. We saw that the firing came from some Germans in a ditch 
in a turnip field a^bout 300 yards away. In front of the Germans were 
12 or 14 women and two men civilians. They were only five or six 
yards in front of the Germans — they stayed there for an hour until it 
grew dark, when we advanced. 

Belgian Soldier. 
g33 About the 12th October the Germans were in possession of Alost. 

The Belgians were advancing through Alost. The Belgians were 
advancing along a road with canal one side and houses the other. 

* L. . . was also interviewed and corroborated the story told by this witness. 



185 

I was hidden in a cafe, my bicycle outside the cafe. I saw about 40 
Belgian civilian men and boys held in front of the German rearguard. 
Two civilians were killed by shots, afterwards four were found wounded 
by bayonets at the side of the road. Further on, nine young men 
(civilians) were found with their throats cut. 

British Soldier, 

My regiment was marching north across the Belgian frontier.* § ^* 
We started about 2.30 a.m. After marching till dawn we saw two 
enemy's aeroplanes scouting. We were going along the main road and 
they certainly saw us — -they could not miss seeing us — there were two 
or three of them [i.e., aeroplanes) and after seeing us they went back. 
About 8 o'clock we were approaching a village. French cavalry, some 
300 or 400, came from the village. I heard some say in English 
" Germans drove out," meaning that the Germans had been in the 
village and that they had cleared them out. We proceeded on, and 
v/e saw about a mile from the village all the women and children and a 
few civilian men coming towards us. The German soldiers were taking 
cover behind the women and children. We could not see them — they 
were taking cover in the houses and trees. We called on the people 
of the village to get past us out of the way, as soon as possible, and they 
did this. The Germans were shelling us with their big guns before the 
population got past us. As soon as the people had passed we deployed 
and we immediately received the fire of the enemy. 

I have had this read to me and it is in every particular correct. 

Belgian Refugee. 

I live at Gits, which is near Roulers. 

On the 19th of October I was in my own house in the morning. g 35 
About 25 French soldiers were hiding in my garden ; they were 
Cuirassiers. They had hidden their horses behind a building. German 
soldiers came into my house by the front door. They asked me 
whether there were anj^ French, Belgian, or English soldiers there. 
I rejplied that there were none there. I then ran into the garden away 
from the German soldiers pretending to be frightened. I ran towards 
the French soldiers who were hiding there and shouted out to them 
the one word " Fifteen." I meant them to understand by this that 
there were 15 German soldiers there. The French soldiers then jumped 
up and shot every one of the 15 Germans. Later on, on the same day, 
some more German soldiers came to Gits. They found the dead 
bodies of the 15 German soldiers in my garden, but they did not know 
that the house and garden belonged to me. When they came I was 
walking about the village. These German soldiers, however, took me 
prisoner. They took me to Gitsberg, which is about ten minutes 
walk from Gits. At Gitsberg, the Germans took all the men they found 
there prisoners ; there were 300 or 400 people altogether and the women 
and children were also taken prisoners. They put all the prisoners, 
children as well, against a wall with their faces towards it, and made 
them put up their hands. While this was being done the Germans 
were still under fire from the French troops. All the men prisoners 
then asked the Germans to let the women and children go as they 
were crying so much. The Germans allowed this. When the women 
and children had gone there were 72 men left. The Germans then said 
that there were 72 men and they would want 72 bullets. I do not 
understand German myself but others who did understand it told me 
that this was what they said. Five mounted Uhlans were then put 
in front of us and we were ordered to follow them on foot. They 
led us along the main road from Bruges to Ypres. There was one 
old man with us of 75 years of age who was too feeble to walk. This 
* This was on or about the 18th of October. 



186 

old man was then taken and shot by eight German soldiers who were 
behind our band. We were all made to halt and watch the old man 
shot. I saw him shot myself and his body was left on the road. 
The rest of us then went on and until we got to Hooglede. At Hooglede 
there were some French troops hiding behind the church and they again 
opened fire on the Germans but did not kill any of them. We were 
then taken back by the way we had come until we got to a place 
called Ondank. From Ondank we proceeded to Staden. At Staden 
the French troops again fired on us ; they killed the five German 
Uhlans who were in front, and one of the Belgian prisoners was also 
killed. When this happened the Germans got angry and they then put 
all the prisoners, including myself, in front of them. The French went 
on firing and 15 of the prisoners were hit. When we saw our com- 
panions fall we waved a white handkerchief and shouted " Vive la 
Belgique." The French then stopped firing at us. The remaining 
prisoners tried to run away ; some of them succeeded in escaping and 
some were shot down by the Germans. I couldn't get away myself. 
Eventually there were only 15 of us left out of the whole 72. I was one 
of the 15. 

The 15 of us were then taken before a " conseil de guerre " presided 
over by an officer. This " conseil de guerre " was held in the road 
beside an ambulance. Before we reached the place where the " conseil 
de guerre " was held one of our number, whom I know well, spoke to 
two of the German officers and bribed them with a gift of 500 francs 
to induce them to do their best for us. This man had been shot 
through the hand and was attended by one of the German officers 
who was a doctor of the Eed Cross. This doctor was one of the 
officers who were bribed and the bribery was effected while he was 
binding up the man's wound. 

When we got to the " conseil de guerre " ten officers gave evidence. 
Eight of them gave evidence to the effect that we had fired on the 
German soldiers when they came to Gits, and two of them, being 
the two who had been bribed, gave evidence that we had not fired. 
We could not hear the evidence given ourselves, but we were told 
the next morning that this is what happened. The man who told 
us was a horse-dealer who had been taken by the Germans and who 
knew German. He was standing quite close to where the " conseil de 
guerre " was held. The " conseil de guerre " condemned us to death. 
We had been bound up before this, but the German doctor who had 
been bribed had cut our bonds. It had been arranged with this 
doctor that if he put up his hand it would mean that we had been 
condemned to death and that we were to run. The doctor put up his 
hand when the sentence was given and we all ran. Three of our band 
were shot as we ran, but the rest of us managed to get into a deep 
ditch. We stopped in this ditch, being in the water up to our chests, 
for about 10 minutes. We then crawled along the ditch until we got 
to a side road and thus we escaped. 

The name of the old man who was killed when we first started in 
charge of the German soldiers was D . . . Out of the 15 who were 
tried by the " conseil de guerre," I know the names of five besides 
myself. (Names given.) 

All these men came from Gits and they all escaped. I saw them 
all the next day. As far as I know it is quite untrue that any civilians 
fired on the German soldiers at Gits. We were all made to give up 
our arms long before the Germans came. 

British Soldier. 
g 36 When we were advancing on the Aisne I came across German 

trenches containing dead German soldiers, and I then found the dead 
bodies of two young French girls, not more than 20, stark naked, 



187 

and in each case with their breasts severed except the lower end by 
which they were hanging attached to the bodies. I also found the 
dead body of a young woman who had been shot, and her child was in 
her arms still living. These bodies I took part in burying. 

After we left the Aisne we were billeted in a village near Ypres (I 
am not sure of the name). We got the alarm, and as we were advanc- 
ing on one another, the Germans came on in irregular formation, with 
a quantity of women and children and also old men in civihan dress. 
We had been warned of the possibility of this, and we had orders to fire 
notwithstanding, and I myself had to fire upon civilians in this case. 
After the Germans had been driven back, some of these women who 
had not been shot showed us their backs. I saw myself the blood 
on their backs where they had been pricked by bayonets, and in one 
case a woman had anything from 20 to 50 bayonet marks on her back. 
This was about October 20th. 



OFFENCES AGAINST COMBATANTS. 

KILLING, ETC., WOUNDED. 

Belgian Doctor. 

I was at the Mhtary Hospital (at Liege), where I took over charge h 1 

of the wounded from 2nd August last. 

On 4th August, at about 11 a.m., a Belgian soldier of the 9th 
Regiment of the Line was brought in who had received a bullet wound 
in the chest and other wounds. His nose was cut completely off. 
He stated that he had been shot in action some few hours previously, 
and was taken into a house, and after being there some hours German 
soldiers entered the house and one of them took hold of his nose with 
one hand and with the other cut his nose off ; the other soldiers 
then treated him in a brutal manner and subsequently left him there. 

From the examination I made of the injuries I am confident that 
this soldier was speaking the truth. 

A few hours later, on the same date, a soldier named Eugenie was 
brought in who was also shot in the chest and had tluree fingers of his 
right hand hacked off ; the latter injury, he said, was caused after he 
had been shot (at the moment that he was bending down to place an 
explosive in position for the purpose of blowing up a bridge). As he 
was lying on the ground wounded and helpless the German soldiers 
came up to him and one of them took hold of his right hand and cut 
the three fingers off. I am of opinion that the injury was consistent 
with the story told by this soldier. 

On 5th August a Belgian officer was brought in who was wounded 
by shot in the femoral artery. He had several ribs broken and face 
much bruised, and was not in a condition to make any statement 
as to how he had received such injuries. His orderly stated that he 
saw German soldiers deliver several kicks with the heels of their boots 
at the prostrate captain's body and in his face. From the injuries and 
the dirt marks on the tunic and face of the officer seemed to fully bear 
out this story. 

Many such stories were told to me during the time I was in charge 
there. 

Belgiak Soldier. 
I speak Flemish and a little French and German. j^ 2 

On the first day my regiment went to Liege (I think it was Wednes- 
day, the 5th August). I was jiatrolHng with a few soldiers in a wood. 



188 

and saw some German soldiers coming towards us. Near me was 
the dead body of a Belgian officer — a commander, who had only just 
arrived from the Military School — and there were several rings on his 
hands. There were also some other wounded Belgian soldiers, and 
some dead. I placed the dead body of a Belgian soldier on top of 
me, and I pretended to be dead, lying on my side. The German 
soldiers (I do not know the name of their regiment) then came up, and 
I saw them kill some of the Belgian wounded with the bayonet, or with 
the butt end of the rifle. I could see without raising my head. I heard 
some of the Belgian wounded cry for help, and when the Germans 
reached them I saw them kill them ; I saw this while I was lying 
down. The Belgian officer was about 6 yards from where I lay. A 
German soldier then went up to him and cut off the officer's fingers 
with a knife, and took his rings and placed them in his pocket. I 
cannot say whether any of the Belgian wounded soldiers who were 
killed by the German soldiers were mortally wounded previously, but 
one of them was wounded in the top part of his thigh, and another 
was wounded in the heart. 

When the German soldiers had gone I got up and made my way 
to the Belgian trenches. 

Belgian Soldier. 
h 3 On the 6th of August, at the village of Saives near Liege, I saw the 

Germans, who had a Belgian soldier with them ; he vvas wounded in 
the arm. Nevertheless they tied his arms behind his back and com- 
pelled him to march on the road towards Germany. Then at a 
distance of about 15 yards they fired at him and killed him. There 
were seven others of my company with me. Among them were 
A . . . D . . . and J . . . P . . . The latter saw the prisoner 
begging for his life. 

Belgian Soldier (Sergeant). 
h i On the day the Belgian army retreated from Liege, on a Thursday, 

I think 6th or 7th of August, I was in a street at Boncelles. I saw a 
Belgian soldier wounded in the leg lying on the ground, he was in my 
company. I do not know his name ; I was a Reservist and only 
called up on 1st August. When we were retreating I saw a German 
soldier repeatedly stab the wounded Belgian with his bayonet. 

Belgian Volunteer of Good Social Position. 
ii 5 On or about the 9th Augu^, I am not certain of the dates, I was at 

Haelen, where there had been a cavalry engagement on that date 
from 8 a.m. to 1 o'clock midday. The Belgians were the 3rd and 4th 
Lancers, the 1st regiment of " Chausseurs a cheval " ; and the Germans 
were the Uhlans and the Dragoons. I do not know the numbers of 
these two regiments. The Germans retreated as the Belgians were 
reinforced by Field Artillery and Carabiniers. I then went on the 
battlefield, and saw a lieutenant of the 3rd Belgian Lancers holding his 
nose. I said, " What is the matter." He said, " Look," taking off 
his handkerchief, and I saw that the lower part of his nose had been 
cut from above, as part of his lower lip had also been cut at the same 
time. It was quite fresh-cut, and bleeding very much. I said, in 
French, " How did it happen ? " He said, " The Germans threw me 
down when I was on foot, held me, and while two were holding me 
down a third cut my nose off with his pocket knife, and kicked me on 
my thigh, saying ' Marsch ' (meaning ' Get away.') " 

He was as white as a sheet, and faint, and I helped him to the Red 
Cross, which had come up with the Belgian reinforcements, and I 
left him under their care. I ascer' aired his name, but I have now 



189 

forgotten it. I had no further conversation with the lieutenant, firstly, 
because he was so faint, and, secondly, because I had to perform my 
own duties in helping to find in which direction the Germans were 
retreating. I do nov know whether the lieutenant spoke German or 
not. The lieutenant gave no explanation why he had been treated in 
this way. 

Belgian Soldier. 

I was in an engagement between the Belgian and the German li 6 

troops at Haelen, near Biest, on Wednesday the 12th August, from 
2.30 until 5.30 p.m. The Belgians were gaining ground and their 
object was to cut off the retreat of the Germans who were installed 
with their mitrailleuses in and outside of the houses along the railway. 
From 5.30 the Belgians had to retreat, because the numbers of the 
German soldiers were so great, and we went on the highway from 
Haelen to Geet Betz. There was a house by the roadside, and behind 
it some 30 of us hid. It was then about 6.30 p.m. I then fell faint. I 
was in that condition for about an hour, and when I woke I heard the 
sound of a mitrailleuse. The Belgians had retreated and the Germans 
fired on them with the mitrailleuse from some houses, and I was between 
the two fires. There were six bullet holes in my coat. The engage- 
ment finished at about 8 p.m., and the Germans still occupied the 
houses in which they had placed mitrailleuses. I saw a sentinel about 
4 metres from where I laid, and I heard the sound of talking in the 
houses. 

At about midnight a patrol, consisting of three soldiers, and an 
officer, made their round. It was a moonlight night. They came to 
where I was lying, and pulled me up by my hair. I kept my eyes 
shut and made no sound. They then dropped me and struck me on 
the lower part of my back with the butt end of the rifle, but the blow 
did not hurt me very much, on account of my wearing my belt at the 
time ; nevertheless I was laid up for a fortnight and was seen by the 
doctors at Ghent and Brussels. Near me were several other wounded 
Belgian soldiers, and I heard some of them crying with pain. They 
had been wounded by rifle shots, but not very seriously. One man 
lying near me had a bullet wound in his left shoulder. Another man 
had a bullet wound in his chin. The German soldiers went up to these 
two and to the other wounded men, and struck them several times 
with the butt ends of their rifles, and killed about 10 of them. I could 
see this by the light of the moon and could hear the blows. I do not 
know the names of any of these men, because they belonged to a 
different company. I am of opinion that some of them would have 
recovered from their bullet woimds if they had received proper treat- 
ment. I was afterwards in the hospital with others who had been 
more dangerously wounded, but who recovered. 

The Germans left at about 2 a.m. The next morning I saw that 
the wounded men were all dead, including the one with the wound in 
his chin and the one with the wound in his shoulder. 

Belgian Red Cross Officer. 
On or about the 13th August 1914 I was present at an action at t 7 

Haelen near Diest in Belgium and was engaged in picking up and 
tending the wounded. I came to a Belgian soldier who was wounded 
once in the leg and twice in the left arm. I also noticed a German 
soldier, but as it was night I could not see what regiment he belonged 
to. He did not say anything to me. I said to the Belgian soldier : 
" I will help you first and then I will return to the other man (referring 
to the German soldier) and try to help him." The Belgian soldier said : 
" Well, be as quick as you can, because I am suffering very badly." 
Not a word passed from the German but he could understand what 
I had said. Whilst I was bending down to do what I could for the 



190 

Belgian, the German soldier (who had been wounded in the stomach) 
hit me a terrific blow in the ribs with the butt of his rifle. The blow 
was so hard that it forced one of my ribs under the other. I was 
knocked down and lay where I fell for three or four minutes. I then 
got up, seized the German soldier's rifle, and smashed his head in, 
killing him on the spot. I had not had time to do anything for the 
German prior to his striking me, and I had not aggravated him in 
any way. It was my intention to help the German just as much as 
the Belgian. The two soldiers were on the Belgian side of the field. 
I had got a hand lantern. 

I do not know his address. I was at once medically examined 
by one of the army surgeons, and the rib which had been displaced 
was put back. 

British Soldibe, Lance-Coeposal. 
his I was with the colours for eight years and was called up from the 

reserve at the beginning of the present campaign. On Sunday the 
23rd of August I was with my regiment at Mons and early in the 
morning of Mondaj^ had orders to retire. We fell back in the direc- 
tion of Soissons. About Thursday or Friday I fell behind the Brigade. 
For some days before I had been suffering with ingrowing toe nails 
on both feet and I was unable to get attention, and after having 
marched about 36 miles I had to give up. This would be between 
9 and 10 in the morning. I sat by the roadside and took laj boots 
off. A lot more stragglers came along the road, and when I had 
rested a bit I joined them and we went along the road together. 
There were quite 30 of us. I camiot tell you any of the men's names 
but there was a corporal of the 20th Hussars, a private of the 5th 
Dragoon Guards, and two Grenadiers. Some were wounded, some 
were footsore. As we were about to cross a bridge over a river — a 
permanent bridge, not one made by the troops — -a party of German 
cavahy and infantry who were hidden in the trees and bushes round 
about came out and cut us off. They marched us off to a big house 
which was on the same side of the river about 4 or 5 miles away. 
They kept all of us there for about 11 days. There were about 20 
Belgian and French prisoners in the same house. We were all together. 
After we had been there about 9 days they parted the French and 
Belgian soldiers from us and took them all outside the house away 
from us. I saw the Germans tie some of these soldiers to trees. I 
was looking out of a little v/indow, but I could see what went on 
clearly and distinctlJ^ The trees were not more than 60 or 70 yards 
away and it was about four or five in the afternoon. I saw five men 
tied to trees. The Germans were all mad drunk with the stuff they . 
had looted. They started sticking their knives in the faces and 
necks of the men and I heard the men crying out. They also pricked 
them with their bayonets. It seemed to me to last a long time, but 
I do not think now they tortured them for more than a few minutes 
and then they shot them all. I do not know what the Germans did 
to the rest of the French and Belgians. The soldiers that I saw kiUed 
were, to the best of my behef, two Belgians and three Frenchmen. 
They left them tied to the trees, but by the next morning they had 
been taken away. I have no idea why they shot these men except 
that they were drunk. On the morning after the day that they did 
this thing two German officers came to lis. I had not seen them 
before. All the English were in one room. Both were drunk. One 
of them spoke to us in English. " You are British men ? " We said 
" Yes." He said, " Tell us where the British are." We said, " We 
have been locked up for eight or nine days and we do not know." 
He said we were " liars," and that we did know. He said, " I shall 
give you four hours to think about it, and if you do not tell me then 
I shaU do with you what we did with the others yesterday." He 



191 

then went awaJ^ Very soon after that we heard a lot of firing. After- 
wards we found it was the French artillery advancing. They shelled 
the house and the ground all round and the Germans retreated, 
leaving their wounded. We held up a white handkerchief which 
some Frenchwoman had given one of us and the French artillery 
came up and, after asking us a few questions, released us. 

During the Avhole time ^ye were in the house as prisoners we had 
nothing but apples and pears. After we were released I saw a gunner 
of the R.F.A. who had been kicked black and blue from head to foot. 
His face was all Idcked about and his eyes all bloodshot. I do not 
know where he came from, they fetched him out from somewhere. 
We were sent on from Nancy and from there I was sent home. Before 
I was called up I was a police constable in the R . . . Borough Police 
Force. 

British Soldier. 

On Wednesday, 26th August, I was with my regiment at Courtrai. 1] 9 
I was wounded at Mons on the 23rd and had to march to St. Quentin ; 
there I was picked up by a field ambulance. We were retiring from 
our trenches on the Wednesday and had to leave our wounded behind 
who could not march. The Germans were advancing rapidly in large 
numbers, it was 3.30, broad daylight. An officer called to us to 
come and form up to take a position further back. He was a staff 
officer. He was between us and the Germans. Our only remaining 
officer was retiring with us. The Germans were turning the wounded 
over with their feet and pinning them to the floor with their bayonets. 
I saw several treated in this way. I should think about a dozen. 
I am pretty confident that it v/as about that number, but I could 
not swear to a dozen or any particular number. We turned out 
53 strong on the Wednesday morning, but I was not there next time 
the roll was called, so I do not know how many were left behind. 
I saw none of the wounded who were lying on the ground attempt 
to attack them as they came on. When they retired from that trench 
I got separated from my comrades and hobbled to St. Quentin as 
best as I could. There I fell in with a field ambulance. The Germans 
did not catch me up. I had my rifle all the time. Our cavahy came 
up on the left flank to cover our retreat and it was after that when 
I got separated from my comrades. 

British Soldier, Lance-Corporal. 

Outside Mons we were suddenly rushed and had to retire as fast b 10 
as we could through the village. I am not sure of the name of the 
village. I was one of the cyclist section — there were 50 of us, a half- 
company. Lieutenant B . . . was in command. He has been killed 
since. He was wounded and died in hospital. Lieutenant B . . . 
told me to stay at the corner of the village to see what was coming. 
I saw the Germans still advancing and sent Dennis, who was with 
me — he was also a cyclist — back to tell Lieutenant B . . . After I 
had sent him back I saw four Germans bayoneting two of our wounded 
men. I had seen them (the wounded men) trying to get up and 
crawl away, so I knew they were wounded. It looked to me as if 
they tried to strip them afterwards. I was about 100 to 200 yards 
awaj^ at the time — keeping out of sight. After that they continued 
to advance, so I rode off to report to Lieutenant B . . . 

Some time later we met some Belgian villagers, who showed us, 
by signs, that they also had seen our wounded being bayoneted by 
the Germans. This was on the 23rd or 24th August, about 2 o'clock. 
On the same day about 4 o'clock we were still retiring. I was firing 
at the Germans. As I was doing so I saw one of the B.A.M.C. men 
about 70 yards away. He was attending to a wounded person. I saw 
two Germans strike at him with either sword or bayonet. His hands 



192 

were outstretched in front of him, and as they struck I saw him 
throw his arms up. I saw the flash of the steel coming down — the 
sun caught it. I thought when I saw them strike at him they v/ere 
cutting his hands off. I never saw him — the R..A.M.C. man — again. 
I am a bandsman. 

British Soldier. 
b 11 At Le Cateau Private W . . . and myself were ordered to take 

up a position behind a haystack 20 yards to our left front. We 
remained during the retirement, and I believe were the last to leave 
from that spot. About 2 p.m. I saw a wounded man belonging to 
the Lancashires, I believe. He was crawling back to the rear on his 
hands and knees. The Germans were then advancing down the 
slope. One German came up to the wounded man who sat up a^nd 
raised his hands. The German struck him with the butt of his rifle 
two or three times. The wounded man was knocked right down 
and never got up that we could see. We then took our chance of 
the bullets and retired. 

Belgian Red Cross Worker. 
h 12 About the 15th of August last I joined the Belgian Civilian Red 

Cross Society and proceeded in the direction of Malines with my 
company. 

About the 28th or 29th of August (the day after the fighting at 
Eppeghem) we were going about in search of wounded soldiers, and 
while doing this a German patrol appeared on the scene. There 
were about 20 dead or wounded soldiers lying on the battle field, 
and one of these waved his hand to us for help, but he was seen to 
do this by the Germans and one of them stabbed him in the breast 
with a bayonet which he afterwards tried to withdraw, but I saw he 
was unable to do so and he went away leaving the bayonet still in 
the bod3^ I was engaged in carrying the wounded who were still 
alive into a hotise and I did not see the body of the wounded soldier 
afterwards, but I knew he could not possibly be alive. One of my 
company also saw this. 

British Red Cross Officer, Captain. 
h 13 On September 1st, at a village between Cheuriere and Gournay, 

about 20 miles N.E. of Paris, 2nd Cavalry Brigade discovered the 
remains of a motor transport column which had been attacked while 
on the move during the night by some Uhlans. The men of the 
column had disappeared with one exception — a private, A.S.C., who 
was lying about 10 yards from the road near a burnt haystack. I 
took off his identity disc and handed it to a serjeant, who arranged 
a burying party. I examined the body, and discovered seven woulids, 
none of which would have been in my opinion fatal, wounds made 
by some sharp instruments. Some men near me informed me that 
they had pulled his body from near the middle of the haystack. I 
examined the wounds, and it seemed clear, from caked blood on 
margin of wound, that burning took place after the wounds had bled 
freely. On examining ground around stack, I found about 20 yards 
from stack several congealed pools of blood and bloodstains leading 
from the pools towards the remains of the stack, which had been 
completely burnt and still smouldering. From the amount of blood 
on ground I consider it impossible that the wounded man could have 
got to the stack by himself. The body (lower part) slightly charred 
and whole of body scorched. I consider sequence of events was,: — 

1. Man wounded. 

2. Stack set alight by Uhlans. 

3. Man found half conscious and bleeding on ground, and thrown 
into stack. 



193 

Had he crawled to stack, and it had afterwards caught ahght, he 
would have been much more severely burnt. The day was a fine dry 
September morning, and there had been no rain in night. 

Belgian Soldier. 

About the beginning of September I was on joatrol duty between h 14 
St. Gilles and Termonde and saw two Belgian soldiers whose eyes had 
been gouged out with bayonet thrusts, and who had received seven 
bullet wounds in the back. A peasant showed us these soldiers. He 
had buried them with a sack over the body and very little earth on top. 
He drew back the sack together with the earth so as to show us the 
bodies. I informed my officer, but he is now dead. 

On the road to Namur I saw the body of a woman lying in the 
road with a bayonet wound through the heart. 

Belgian Soldier. 

Between September 8th and 13th my regiment was helping to ^ ^^ 
Ibring up reinforcements between Malines and Lou vain. Between these 
towns we had an engagement with the Germans lasting four days. 
On the first of those days a soldier of the 1st Regiment of Carabiniers, 
who belonged to an advanced guard or patrol, who had been fighting 
that day, was wounded. The Germans advanced that day, they 
reached the entry of a village on the line I have mentioned. But they 
did not take the village. I forget the name of it. That evening search 
parties v\'ent out to bring in the wounded. I don't know the name of 
the Carabinier to whom I have referred. His body was discovered the 
following morning. He had a bullet wound which pierced the left leg. 
He also had four or five gashes of a bayonet on his body. His head 
was swollen and it bore marks of having been beaten. His head was 
quite blue in colour. I mean his forehead. I saw the body myself as 
it lay on the ground where the fighting had been. He was lying on his 
side. I helped to undo his tunic for the doctor. I heard the doctor 
■say that the bullet wound in the leg would of itself have prevented his 
being able to walk or escape but that otherwise it would not have been 
serious. He expressed the opinion that the soldier had been finished 
off by the bayonet. I believe he has been either killed or taken 
jjrisoner since. 

The doctor was of opinion that the soldier had not bled much from 
the bullet wound. I saw myself that the blood coming from the 
bayonet wounds was much more fresh. It was not yet dry. There 
was a great deal of blood around the body. 

British Officer. 
On the 13th September we crossed the Aisne. On the morning of 
the 14tli our Brigade, after bivouacking that night, started out in 
columns of fours through the village of Vendresse and up a hill. When 
we got to the top there was a very flat and open plateau ; we advanced 
in open order across the plateau, and suddenly when we had got about 
1,000 yards along it, came under a murderous shell fire ; we had had no 
firing previously ; we had orders to incline to the left to a ridge at the 
top of the Chivy valley ; the fire there was so hot that we had to retire 
temporarily four or five hundred yards down that valley. We then 
advanced again to the ridge, which descends fairly steeply on the 
Chivy side, and Captain H . . . was getting his men in the firing line 
there when, as he was standing up sideways towards the front, he was 
struck by a bullet which caused a flesh woimd in his right leg, and then 
shattered the thigh bone of his left leg. He v/as unable to move ; he 
was carried back below the crest of the ridge, 20 yards or so back, to 
a natural little hollow. I, Lance -Corporal S . . ., and Pte. F . . . 

G 



194 

attended to the captain and dressed his left leg, which was very painful ; 
whilst we were still doing that the battalion had to retire at about 
9.30 a.m., I do not think they could have retired more than 150 y&rdsy 
when we heard the Germans on the ridge above, they could not see u& 
owing to the slope of the ground. We lay there till about 2.30 p.m.^ 
when the firing in that portion of the line practically stopped. The 
Germans on the ridge just above us then got up and, coming forward, 
caught sight of us ; we were all lying down flat on the ground ; there 
were ten or a dozen of them, all privates of the 48th Reserve Begiment. 
I was lying on my face and heard them make a sort of growling noise 
when they saw us ; they put their rifles up immediately, and the captain 
held up his hand and said, " Please don't, don't " ; two or three of 
them took no notice and several shots were fired ; the captain was liit 
in the chin by a bullet which went through his head and killed him, 
and had another shot through the stomach. Pte. F . . .was killed by 
a shot through the stomach .; I and the lance-corporal were not 
touched ; those who had fired were opening their rifles to eject the 
empty cartridges, and looked as if they were going to shoot again, 
when one stepped forwai'd and said what sounded like " K'o, no, no," 
and pushed their rifles aside ; the lance-corporal and I were then taken 
prisoners. We had had to take down the captain's trousers to dress 
his leg and put on the blue bandage, which is the first field dressing ; 
his clothes were still like that, so the Germans could not have helped 
seeing that he was wounded ; we none of us had rifles in our hands, 
as the captain had told us about an hour before to take off our equip- 
ment and put it one side to avoid risk in case of capture, which then 
seemed likely. 

Note. — The evidence of Lance-Corporal S . . . has been taken and 
he corroborates the albove evidence in every material particular. 

British Soldier. 
On Monday September 14th, my company ("No. 1) was in the firing 
1 17 line near, I think Landrecies. In front of us was a wheatstaek, and I 
noticed five or six of our men lying down behind it. Several were 
lifting their arms and legs and never attempted to get up, so I ;knew 
that they were wounded. We were in action at the time and the 
Germans were about 200 yards beyond the wheatstaek. A man from 
the Loyal North Lancashires had joined us. He was wounded in the 
shoulder and I took him about 50 yards in the rear and bound his 
shoulder up. I did this in a small pit made by a shell. As soon as I 
had bound him up I left him and returned to where I had left my 
company. This would be at about 2 p.m., my company had gone 
and I could see none of our men about. I returned to where I had 
left the Lancashire man. After I had returned a few minutes I noticed 
a party of about 50 Germans coming across from the right. They 
passed quite near the wheatstaek and four of them went up to it. I 
saw them take two rifles away from the wounded men there. They 
rejoined their party, which passed on. About half an hour later 
another party of Germans came along. They were rather large — 
about SO or 100. They came from the same direction and took the 
same course as the others. When they got up to the wheatstaek one 
of them, who looked like an officer, looked round them and bandaged 
up the leg of one of the wounded men. He did this with something 
white and I could see he had the man's leg on his knee. He rejoined 
his men. 

About a quarter of an hour after that again, another large partj^ 
came on the same course. When they had got about 100 yards past 
the -Wheatstaek one of the Germans at the rear ^of the party shouted 
something oiit in German. All the Germans looked round and four 



of them came back ta where the officer, as I suppose he was, was stand- 
ing about 80 yards from tlie wheatstack. The men fired four shots- 
one each — at the m«n behind the wheatstack and then rejoined tbe 
rest. I saw all this from the small pit where I was with the Lancgishire 
man. He did not see it because he was too badly wounded to move 
to look out of the pit, I do not know his name, he was a short fellow, 
and I know he went into the hospital in a village quite close. After 
the shooting we stayed in the pit 'until dark. Dtu-ing the whole 
of this time there was no movement amongst the men lying under the ^ 

stack. After dark the Lancashire man and I made good our escape 
and I returned to owe lines next morning, after taking him to 
hospital. 

Beitish Soldiee, N.C.O. 

On September 14th last my company was engaged with the enemy j^ jg 
in the valley of the river Aisne. Early in the morning, at aboxtt 
8 or 9 o'clock, I was wounded in the left kilee and took shelter in a 
chalk pit. Btwing the day twelve other men came in, all of whom 
were wounded. Of these, two Were officers, one being Lieut. G . . . 
of my own regiment, and the other, I believe. Was a subaltern in one of 
the regiments of Guards. These two officers each had a pistol, but none 
of the other wounded men in the pit had arms of any sort. 

The British force fell back, and by 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon 
three of the wounded men had died and others appeared to be bleeding 
to death. Therefore, when Vv^e heard the approach of the Germans 
we decided to attract their attention in order that we might get 
medical assistance. One of the officers happened to have a white 
liandkerchief, and this the officer, whom I believe to have belonged 
to the Guards, marked with a cross in bloOd and tied to a foldin'g 
combination stick-seat. The same officer then held up this flag and in 
this -w&y attracted the attention of a party of about 8 Germans. 

At this time the wounded in the chalk pit were not grouped to- 
gether but were scattered about the pit lying or sitting in the positicSn 
which gave each one most ease. With the exception of the officer 
bolding up the flag none of us had anything in his hands. The Germans 
came up to the edge of the pit ; it was getting dusk, but the light Was 
still good, and everything clearly discernible. One of the Germans, 
who appeared to be carrying no arms and who at any rate had no rifle, 
came a few feet down the slope into the chalk pit. He came to within 
8 or 10 yards of some of the wounded men. He looked at the men, 
laughed, and said' something in German to the Germans who were 
waiting on the edge of the pit. 

Immediately one of them fired at the Guards officer ; then three or 
four of us were shot ; then Lieut. G . . . ; then myself and the rest 
of us. I was shot in the right shoulder. After an interval of some 
time I sat up and f ou.nd that I was the only man of the ten who wefe 
living when the Germans came into the pit, remaining alive and that 
all the rest were dead. Later, a soldier named I) . . . of my company, 
came to the pit and I at once told him what had happened. He bound 
np my shoulder, and early in the morning of Sept. 15th I managed to 
get to a picket of the Welsh Border Regiment. I told Lieut. D . . . 
of that regiment, and also the Medical Officer who attended to me, 
the story of what had occurred. 

Note. — The evidence of Private I> . . . and Lieut. D . ., . has been 
obtained independently of the above witness and of each other. They 
establish the rehability of the Lance-Corporal's evidence. 

British Soldier. 
About a fortnight or three weeks after the retirement from Mons ^ 19 
I was on outpost duty with others at night time. The main party 



196 

had orders to withdraw, but I was left at the j)oint where the party- 
had been in order that I might signal any movement of the enemy. 
The man who was between me and the main party, and who was to- 
have taken my signals ran away. As I was thus cut off I thought it 
better after a time to retire. I commenced to retire and got as far as 
a French farmhouse when 12 Uhlans who were concealed there came 
out and took me prisoner. They took me round the back into the 
stackyard, and took away my rifle, bayonet, and ammunition. After 
I that they took off my boots, socks, trousers, shirt and tunic. I had 

no cap, as I had lost it the night before. I had no vest and I was then 
completely naked. They even took off my identification plate and 
used it as monccle and played with it in front of me. This plate they 
kept as well as my other things. They eat my two biscuits from my 
haversack in front of me. They then walked me out of the yard 
further from the house to a spot where there were several trees, to 
one of which they bound me with a rope. First my hands were tied 
behind me and round the tree. Another cord bound my legs close to- 
the tree and another cord was round my body. I was naked, as I have 
before said, and they went away and left me. This was early morning 
— ^they went into the farm. On leaving me they jeered at me and one 
spat in my face. After 4 in the afternoon some of them came to look 
at me, and one had a tin of water and pretended to offer me a drink^ 
but purposely spilt it down my chest, and then laughed. They went 
away. I remained tied to the tree all night and all the next day. The 
Uhlans came back at about 5 on that evening, and made motions 
which I understood meant to ask if I wanted something to eat. When 
I nodded they took food from their pockets and eat it in front of me 
and then went away. The next day they returned about noon, as I 
judged it to be by the sitn, and after looking at me went away. That 
is the last I saw of them. I had all along tried to release my hands 
and feet, and at about 9 p.m. or so on the third day I managed to 
get my hands out, and I then succeeded in wriggling the cords up 
above my head, and got myself free. I had spent two nights and three 
days tied up to the tree, and I could not sleep at all as it rained nearly 
all the time. As far as I could see, nobody but German soldiers were 
in the farmhouse. I did not shout. When I got away I made for 
what I thought were the British lines. I was fired at by the French 
outposts and lay down. Then two French soldiers came up and spoke 
in French, and then took me to an officer who could speak English, and 
to whom I told what had heppened. He took me to a farmhouse, 
where the only available clothing which could be found for me were 
a akirt and a blouse. In these garments I was taken to the Army 
Service Corps, where I was attended to. My exposure made me ill ; 
my tongue was swollen, and I could only eat with difficulty. I was 
in pain and exhausted. I rejoined my regiment, and took part in the 
battles on the Aisne near Soissons, After about 10 days I got fearful 
pains, and was invalided home with rheumatism. I have got much 
better and expect to go to the front soon. 

British Soldier. 
h 20 On a Monday in September I was in a battle on the Aisne, and 

shortly before the middle of the day was wounded in the leg. It was 
a bad wound and I was quite disabled (later my leg was amputated). I 
and a number of other wounded men of my own regiment and the 
Black Watch were taken by our own men to what was thought to be 
a place of safety. Whilst there the German infantry came up right 
amongst us. It was broad daylight and plain to see that we were all 
wounded men. The Germans fired at our wounded men and killed 17, 
leaving only three alive. I actually saw this. 

One of the Germans came up to me and presented his rifle at close 



197 

quarters. I put up my hands and showed him I could not move. He 
tired at me point blank and the bullet went through my hand cutting 
off a finger. They left me and the other two survivors (who were 
fired at) on the ground. We remained there until the Tuesday night, 
when some men of the Gloucester Regiment picked us up and took us 
to a small farm where we were attended to by the Red Cros^ people. 
The other two men were of my own regiment ; I know them well, but 
do not know their names. 

British Soldier (Lance-Corporal). 
That on September 14th at the battle of the Aisne he was wounded h 21 
about 10 a.m., and crawled to a large haystack. While lying there, the 
Germans advanced and took our arms and equipment. Between 30 
and 40 wounded were lying round the haj^stack. Those of us who 
could move were ordered round to the German side of the haystack. 
We lay there all day. Towards dusk our men advanced and drove 
the Germans back. Our troops got within 600 yards of the haystack. 
The Germans retired about three or four hundred yards, and then 
commenced firing at the German side of the haystack where our men 
had been ordered to go. The firing continued for 10 minutes. I and 
a captain of the Royal Sussex were helped off by two men who had 
crawled round back to our side of the stack. I was wounded in the 
knee. I do not know the men who helped me. These two came 
round at once. I nevef saw the other men again. 

British Ofmcer. 
I was wounded at the battle of the Aisne, 20th September. After h 22 
I was wounded I was lying about 30 yards in front of a trench that 
was occupied by Germans. They could not see me because I was 
under the crest of a little hill. A number of my men were also wo.unded , 
and I could see them plainly. I tried to make myself comfortable and 
to get my pack off, and asked Private C . . ., of the B company, to 
help me ; he was also wounded. He raised himself to a kneehrg 
position and was at once shot through the head. This would be about 
a quarter of a hour after I was hit, and the firing from us had ceased 
for about that period. C . . . had no rifle in his hands. I then 
noticed desultory firing from the German trenches, and I saw the bodies 
of our men who had akeady been killed or wounded turned over, 
evidently by the force of bullets ; one was hit three times. I then 
saw one of my men get up, and, holding up his hands, advance towards 

the German trench. A German — I think a non-commissioned officer 

halted him at a distance of about 10 yards, spoke to him a few words, 
and shot him through the head. This man was obviously wounded' 
and had no rifle. I then tried to get away myself, and dragged myself 
along with my hands. I had got rid of my pack, belt, and sword, as 
they impeded me. On hearing me move they began to search the 
ground with rifle-fire. I could hear the Avords of command, and also 
the bullets striki. g all round me. I still went on crawling. When I 
began to move, all our men who had been in front of this trench were 
dead or wounded, and there had been no sign of an attack on our part 
for some time. It was broad dayhght, not later than half -past two, and 
from their position the Germans could see 400 yards directly in front 
of them. 

British Soldier, N.C.O. 
About September 20th our regiment, with the Wiltshires, the h 23 
Worcestershires and the Royal Irish Rifles, took part in an engage- 
ment with the Germans. The engagement began early in the day 
and lasted practically all day. After we had retired to our trenches 
—a few minutes after we had got back into them— the Germans retired 



198 

into their trenches. The distance between the trenches of the ojlposing 
forces was aboiit 400 yards. I should say aboctt 50 or 60 of oitr men 
had been left lying on the field. From our trenches, after we had got 
back to them, I di-stinctly saw German soldiers come out of their 
trenches and go over to spots wheTe our men were lying and bayonet 
them. I could not say how many German soldiers did this. But I 
should say there were quite a dozen. Some of our men were lying 
nearly halfway between the trenches. The nearest that I saw any 
German soldier come and bayonet any of our men was about halfway 
between the trenehes. One could see quite clearly. It was still 
dsaylight. 

After two or three subseqiuent engagements at the same piaee, 
fought from the same trenches, I again saw the Germans do the same 
thing, that is,, baiyonetinig our wounded. 

About October 19th or 20th we were entrenched outside a village 
near La Bassee, of which village th« Germans were in occupation. 
Our trench was about 400 or 500 yards from the end of the village 
nearest to us. I saw five or six German infantry soldiers go into a 
house at that end of thie viflage, and, after a very short interval, they 
came out again dragging by the shoulders an old woman. She was 
screaming. In front of the door of that house, out in the street, one 
of the soldiers struek the woman with his entrenching shovel. I saw 
Mm pull out his shovel. He struck her on the head. The woman fell 
down. I only saw one blow given. I could not say whether the 
woman was killed, but I should think so. The soldiers went away. 
The body remained lying on the ground. I did not see it removed. 
This happened in the afternoon. The same night the Germans 
evacuated the village. I did not see any other of the village popula- 
tion, so I could not say whether the Germans were driving them out. 
I could only see the houses right at the end near us. We entered the 
village that night. It was a very small one — I should say, not a hundred 
houses. The only persons whom I saw in the village after we had 
entered were an old man and an old woman. 

I should say I was only about 400 yards from the house out of 
which the woman was dragged. 

h 24 At battle of Aisne, between 8th and 10th October, we were in 

first line of trenches ; w^e advanced into a wood ; Germans too strong ; 
had to retire, leaving the wounded on grou'nd ; Germans advanced 
and bayoneted a wounded man na^med R . . . After the fight, four 
of us were carrying wounded to a field hospital in a waterproof 
sheet. Germans fixed on us ; the Germans then about 200 yards off. 

Beiti«h Soedies. 
b 25 About October ISth my battalion was attacking a village just 

outside Armentieres. The engagement lasted from 8.30 a.m. to 
lO.SO a.m. Behind us was a thick wood and the Germans were also 
attacking us from the village. We got up to within 50 yards of the 
Germans and were then compelled to retire. We had lost a good 
many men and when we retired we were able to take all our wounded 
back with us except one, I do not know his name, he was lying on 
his side with his head' resting on his forearm. We had retired into 
the wood— a dis-tance' of about 100' yards from the wounded ma.n — 
when I saw a German go up to him, he bayoneted the wounded man, 
one thrust, I should say in the head. The Germans were all under 
bur fire at the time and I heard one of our men say afterwards that 
he shot th« Germain who killed out wounded man. ' 



199 



British Soldier, N.C.O. 
One Swday in October, about 18th, on the Aisne, near Vailly l 26 
we occupied some trenches. The Worcesters were in irenches next 
to us. I he CTermans advanced and Captain K . . . thoiicrht thev 
M-ere goi«g to surrender and ordered us to cease fire. He advanced 
to meet them and was shot and the Germans got close and drove out 

Infil.dTfhi'w J "^T"'^"? ^'I^'S ^"^*- ^'^"^ ^^r trench we " 
off If i^' ""f'^l'l trench and were able to drive the Germans 
Wnroti '^T 1""% ^^^y dehberately shot the wounded in the 
A^orcesters trench. I was only about 15 yards of! and there could 
be no mistake, as only the wounded were there. They were easily 

^.30-3.30 p.m On 24th October we were in an old cafe, near La 

fuT' frit ^ w V ^''^ ^'''^^'' ^ • • • ^^^^^^ ^^e *« «-« ^onTe- 
thing. In the gardeA were some sacks of potatoes. Among them 

tZ.^^^ 1 fJ^'^'^'Tl^''^ ^.'^^'' ^''^^'^^^ ^ ^^°^an apparently cut up 
They had their clothes either on or pushed in the sacks with them 

drivenTem out °''''^' ^'^^""^^ ^°' '^^^' ^^'°'^- ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ 

by Prfvatel^^ ^''"^' ^'"""^ ""^ *^'' ''''''''' ^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^n corroborated 

British Soldier. 
On October 24th, the day Colonel L . . . was killed, I was in a h 27 
bayonet charge m a wood off Zouarabeeke* ; we were 150-200 strong 
l^ieut. O . . . was m charge of 16 platoon. I had been cut off froni 
my company and found myself with No. 16 platoon. After the charge 
• T^ "" K* ^ '''' °*^'?'^ "'^^i' '^^cluding my chum, who was killld 

ammunition the other dozen men searching were Oxford Lio-ht 
Infantry and Worcesters. I did not know Inv of then I saw 
Enghsh and German wounded lying inter-mixed, the result of I 
previous charge, as this whole affair had lasted about one-and-a-half 
hours We were the reinforcements. Twelve to fifteen of the En^^^^^^ 
wounded were lying dead with their throats cut ; they had been 
bandaged up and attended to by their comrades, showings that they 
had been wounded and then killed after they had received first ^d 
I cannot say for certain whether the Germans came again temporarilv 
over the ground. I saw myself five prisoners, inclfding J officer 
unwounded, who had been shamming dead in the woods,^not in tht 
spot-the^wood stretched for miles. I could not say when or how 
exactly^the men ,had had their throats cut, ,but I am quite certZ 
I saw them m the condition I have described. cerram 

British Soldier. , 

We were retreating from a trench outside Ypres : only myself h 28 

Private W . ., and a lance-corporal, got out al ve, and loinrdS ? 

regiment at Ypres. The Germans advanced over the trenches ^M 
the headquarters trench where I had been on guard Lr three d^^ 
When the Germans reached our wounded, I saw their officer xSS^ 
sword to cut them down. j^^^^ jus 

1 .V; 0(.l 

British Soldier, hgo J vr'/v 

and^ha?i'to^vI;r*'''l'7^''/ '"'" ^t'^ in trenches and were -attacked. b 29 
FnsiliPr! Tl? "«til reinforced by other companie^_of the Royal 
^usihers. Then we retook the trenches and found- tl}e-%diMderl 
between 20 and 30, lying in the trenches with bayonet4ot>AdlSi 
some sh^. Most of them, say three-ouarters, hJ^rr^^S^t^ 
J. wo or three days after I was wounded with a shrajin^rfbfenc-^^ olliU' 

* ? . ■ ' ' ' ''_ To/j/ir,' mid ii;q 

-ioclo'o S inocja 



200 

British Soldier. 
h 30 At Ypres on the 29th October last I saw the Germans as we retired 

going through our wounded as they (the Germans) advanced, and 
bayoneting them as they lay on the ground. Shells and bullets 
were flying all round us, and it is impossible for me to say how many 
of our men were so treated, but I saw the Germans myself doing it, 
and am quite sure of it. 

British Soldier. 
31 On 29th October I was in the retirement from Ypres, when the 

German troops came up to us in the trenches. Whilst I was en- 
deavouring to get away I saw a private in the Scots Guards lying 
wounded and disabled in the trench. Two or three German infantry 
men came up to him and, though he begged for mercy, they killed 
him with the bayonet. It was plain to them that he was a wounded 
and disabled man. It was the middle of the day. I heard the 
Germans firing as they went along our trenches, and I was told by 
a wounded man of the Scots Guards that they were shooting at our 
wounded men. I only actually saw the one case mentioned above. 

British Soldier. 
h 32 I fought in the retreat .from Mons and in the battles of the Aisne, 

and was wounded in both legs and right shoulder at Ypres on 31st 
October. 

After I was wounded I and four other wounded men crawled to 
a village and took refuge in the cellar of a house. 

One of the four was R ... of my own regiment ; the other three 
were men of a Scotch regiment (in kilts). 

The Germans surrounded the house and forced us up to the ground 
floor at the point of the bayonet. 

A number of tbe Germans were lined up on the opposite side of the 
road and as we were forced across the room they shot us point blank 
with their rifles. 

This was in broad daylight. 

We were all able to walk (hmping), but it was quite plain that we 
were wounded men. 

The other four men were killed. I was not struck, but threw 
mvself down when the others fell. 

" I remained lying on the ground until some of our troops came up 
and drove the Germans out. 

British Soldier — Staff Sergeant. 
"^ i Near Ypres, in the front trenches, at night time, on the 1st Novem- 
ber, the enemy's trenches were about 150 yards away. There was 
barbed wire entanglement in between. A private of some company 
82 d in the Welsh Regiment went out as a volunteer to cut the wire. He 

;^ 33 ei^ji from a bullet wound. There was a moon, but it was hazy. While 
^tihfe men of his regiment waited for a cloud to pick him up, he got 
.kilM by bayonets. He was fetched in and buried behind the trench. 
4flsaw%im and could see he had six or seven bayonet wounds m the 
body. He was then buried. I M^as wounded the same day, that is 
why I can remember the date. 
fJSri .b'35{o_fi«B-oi9, British Soldier. 

h34 '"'r Oil" the 7th November I was platoon orderly— taking messages 
ifromtlie firing line to headquarters— about midday. I found a 
private of the .Sussex who had just come out of the trenches into a 
■ little wood ancVwas hit in the left shoulder. I bandaged him up and 
put him under cover in a dug-out alone. The Germans broke through 
about 3 o'clock. We advanced, came through the wood and drove 



201 

them back. I \^ent to the dug-out to see how the Sussex man was 
going on. I found him dying. He h?xl been hit over the head, ai:d 
he said, '" They have done me in." He died wiiile I was there. His 
head had been bashed in ; a big dent in his head just above the ear. 
I was wounded myself the day a.fter. 

British Soldiek. 
At La Bassee, after we had been already about seven weeks there, h 35 
the company officer in charge ordered a charge to capture a machine 
gun which the Germans were firing from the trenches, which latter 
were only about 180 or 200 yards away. Ihe charge was to be made 
at da\\Ti on November 26th. Ihe charge was made accordingly. 
The Germans started firing their machine gun. Our men attacked 
them with the baj^onet. We drove them out cf the trenches. The 
Germans tried to outflank us on both sides. We lost about 100 in 
killed and v\'ounded. Several of our men were lying on the ground 
in front of the German trenches. It was plain to anyone that they 
were wounded. The blood was running from them. I saw the 
Germans come out of their trenches and strike our men with the 
butts of their rifles and bayonet others of our men. 

British Soldier. 
At Lailly-sur-la-Lys about the 19th of December we were in h 36 
trenches. I was in the front and the Germans were entrenched 
200 yards away. The night before Ave made £^n attack and it was a 
failure. We had a number of wounded, but v/e could not get them 
all in with us. We left about six out there. In broad daylight as these 
men moved or groaned the Germans fired at them. This happened 
four or five times, as I myself saw. Most of the men of our section 
were Special Reserve men whose names I don't know. 

Belgian Refugee 
My husband is a messenger. On the first day of the arrival of the 
Germans in Brussels I was going to Tervueren, a suburb of Brussels, 
looking for work as a charwoman. I knew that the Germans were in 
Brussels, but I did not know there were any at Tervueren. At 
Tervueren I came across a regiment of Germans. They were all 
standing in groups. In one of the groups I saw a Belgian officer tied 
to a tree. A German soldier with a fine helmet was with other German 
soldiers cutting open the Belgian soldier, who was still alive, right down 
the front through his tunic and other clothes. Seeing this I fled back 
to Brussels. The same day I and my husband and child fled to Asse* ; 
there we met on the road about 15 German infantry soldiers, who 
stopped us. First we were ordered to put our hands up. They 
ransacked our bundles and took the money from our pockets. After 
having taken the money, they blamed us for having weapons, but none 
of us had any. Besides ourselves there were with us one man and one 
woman, whom we met on the road. When they saw the Germans 
they stopi^ed behind. The soldiers took off my clothes except my 
chemise and sent me on like this with the addition of a small skirt. 
My husband could do nothing ; when he tried to speak they put a 
pistol in his mouth. They made us sit down with them for four hours 
and bullied us (I still in my chemise), knocking me and my child about. 
After this ill-treatment they gave us a kick each and told us to be gone, 
and we went on to Ostend. 

* ? Assche. 



202 



FIRING ON HOSPITALS, STRETCHER-BEARERS, &c. 

British Corporal. 
b38 After the retreat from Mons, about the fourth day the retreat 

began, at some town whose name I cannot remember, we were guarding 
a bridge. The red cross flag was clearly visible above the roofs of the 
houses . The hospital was shelled. I saw two shells strike the hospital, 
which was in the main street, or at any rate a big street. I think 
this place was Bouchain, but not sure. 

On the 10th of September, on advancing from between the Marne 
and the Aisne, the Germans were entrenched, and we advanced on them 
in the morning. _ They fought for two hours, and then in front trench 
a number of white flags were put up. This was on our right. The 
men then ceased fire and advanced to take the enemy prisoners. 
After they had advanced a part of the way the Germans opened fire 
suddenly, to which our men responded. After this the Germans 
were taken prisoners. 

British Sergeant Major. 

h,38 (a) On the second day after the retreat from Mons had ended, we were 

attacking the enemy's trenches ; about 50 Germans in the front trench 

put up a number of white flags ; we went forward to take the men 

prisoners, fire opened upon us from behind the first trench by 180 

Germans. We captured our men, and our flanking parties, the 

Northumberland Fusiliers, succeeded in capturing the other 180 men. 

On the 23rd August the battle of Mons began. The hospital, which 

was empty except the nuns, was shelled and then the church. In fact, 

the Germans used these marks as a convenient means of range-finding. 

On the 2nd October, at Vailly, as we were just going into Vailly 

from the Aisne, the church which was used as a hospital, with about 

50 beds, was shelled in spite of its duly fiying the Red Cross. This did 

not occur until the rest of the town had been shelled. 

British Soldmr. 
-h 39 I took part with my regiment in the retreat from Mons. About 

three days after the retreat had begun, we were retiring from a fairly 
large town. I cannot remember the name. We stayed one night in 
*he town. There was a Red Cross hospital on the further outskirts 
oi the town. Shortly after dawn, I should say about 5 a.m. we started 
to leave the town. We had got a mile or two out of the toTSTi. The 
Germans had been pressing upon us all the time. From about a mile 
or two beyond the town we looked back and saw shells dropping on the 
liospital. The last I saw was the hospital actually breaking out in 
flames. I understand there were about 400 in the hospital. Some of 
my regiment were there. I have never heard of them since. 

British Soldier. 
ii 40 I was at Cambrai on the 26th August 1 914. I was with my company 

and we were retiring from the first position we had taken up. A party 
of stretcher-bearers came from our rear flank and passed along a road 
in the direction of a church at Cambrai which was being used as a 
hospital. 1 was quite close to them — amatter of 50yardsorso. I was 
lying against the bank of a hedge. I had been wounded in the right 
foot and left calf about an hour before. I saw at the least six wounded 
men on stretchers — there was nothing else moving on this road — it 
was on the flank of the action. The stretcher-bearers had to go about 
600 yards to the church, and all this time they were under shell fire. 



203 

Two stretcher-bearers were wounded and one R.A.M.C. man. ], do 
not know the names of the stretcher-bearers nor of the R.A.M.C. 
He came over on the same boat as I did from Rouen. I actually saw 
this man struck in the tliigh. The stretcher-bearers who came back 
later for other wounded told me that two of the stretcher-bearers had 
been wounded by this shell fire. There were none of our batteries 
there at all, they came up later and even then did not go into that 
position. There were no machine guns or infantry firing on the road 
or near it. There was no reason at all for firing on the stretcher- 
bearers — there was no cover on the road and they must have stood out 
clearly on the road. I was taken to the church at about 12 o'clock. 
The church was flying the Red Cross. I was in it about a couple of 
hours and dm^ing that time two or three shells fell very close to the 
church, and one of them struck a small building adjoining the church 
and then the doctor ordered the church to be cleared of wounded men 
and we were taken away to Le Cateau in carts. We had no artillery 
in the village, nor was there any firing by our men in the village, nor 
any combatants in the village to fire, and I do not know any reason 
why the Germans should have dropped their shells so near the church., 

Belgian Soldier. 
After the battle of Aerschot I was engaged in helping to carry h 41 
in the wounded with a Little Brother of the Red Cross. The doctor 
was there. I was engaged in carrying in a wounded German from a* 
wood with the Brother when the Germans fired on us. There were 
no Belgian troops within a kilometre of us. And they fired with aim. 
They fired directly on us. We hid at once with the wounded man 
behind a house. This happened near a village close to Aerschot. 

British Soldier, Sergeant. 
Early in September, on the Aisne, I was with the machine gun in h 42 
the trenches. A platoon of men were sent forward about 9. a.m. to 
reconnoitre the enemy's trenches, which were about 600 yards away, 
and which trenches had been reported vacated. As they went forward 
they were fired upon, but they continued to advance for a distance of 
300 yards. About 17 were wounded of the platoon of from 50 to 60 
men. They lay in the open for several hours. Before dark our 
stretcher-bearers, wearing the Red Cross badge, went out to pick up 
the wounded ; there had been no firing for four hours or so before this. 
They were fired upon by the Germans ; they took w^hat cover they 
could in the furrows of the mangold field and waited until dark, when 
they brought in the wounded. One Red Cross man was killed when 
the firing took place. 

British Soldier. 
On the 9th of September I was with my regiment about 30 miles li 43 
from Coulommiers. I think the place was called Soissons. I got hit in 
the neck, and a splinter of shell in my shoulder. I got up and ran to 
the back of the wood in which we were when I got the wound. Bands- 
man B . . . helped me up and along the road. He helped me to 
stretcher-bearers of the R.A.M.C. They put me on the stretcher and 
were going to carry me to a field hospital about 4 miles behind the 
firing line. I was the only man being carried on a stretcher, but 
there were three or four men of the Comwalls, who were not wounded, 
but who were retiring, and they caught me up. The Germans fired on 
me and the stretcher-bearers before these men came up. We were 
under fire for quite 60 yards, the stretcher-bearers going at a walk. 
The Germans were quite close — I cannot put it into yards, but I could 
see them quite plainly on my right. They were kneeling, and there 
were about seven of them. I am quite certain they were firing onus 



204 

and not at anj^thing else. There was nobody in the direction in which 
they were firing except ourselves, that is, myself and the stretcher- 
bearers. Somehow or other these Germans had got round our line. 
The stretcher-bearers had the Red Cross, and the Germans were so near 
that they must have been able to see it ; besides they could see I was on 
a stretcher. In all they fired about 10 rounds at us. The stretcher- 
bearers were not hit, nor was I. I do not know the names of the 
stretcher-bearers, nor the names of anj^ of the men who came up 
whilst the Germans were firing. 

British Soldier. 

h 44 During the battle of the Aisne, about September 13th, I was in a 

small village— I think the name was Gales — near the Aisne. I had been 
taken there from the Aisne, where I had been wounded and was put by 
the Red Cross in the church at Gales. There were about 50 of us there. 
The church had a high spire and was flying the Red Cross flag. As it 
was right behind the firing line there could have been no reason for the 
Germans firing in that direction unless they were aiming deliberately 
at the church hospital. A shell hit the church late at night, lifting off 
roof off one corner. I was in opposite corner. In consequence, we 
were shifted next morning. While we were being shifted to the railway 
station the Germans shelled the Red Cross waggons, killir.g 10 horses 
and a driver. 

British Soldier. 

^^5 We were in trenches at the other side of the Aisne between the 

12th and 15th September. One morning about 10 a.m. the ambu- 
lance v/aggon was going along the road taking the wounded from 
the trenches to the hospital in the village. It was about 400 yards 
from the nearest part of the trenches. Several shells, I should think 
about 15, seemed to be aimed deliberately at the waggon. 

The horses were killed. I was told all the men were killed, but 
I do not know if that is correct. 

British Soldier. 
h 46 At Bucy-ie-Long, in September, we were behind a large hospital, 

flying a Red Cross flag from a chimney ; the flag could easily be 
seen. This was shelled three times in the same day — in the daylight. 
At the last time the hospital was in flames, and the patients being 
moved out all day. I saw several of these taken out. 

British Soldier. 
h 47 On the 29th September I was wounded at the River Aisne. The 

Germans were shelling a temporary hospital behind me in the village 
■ — it was a big farmhouse flying the Red Cross flag. There could be 
no mistaking it. There was no obstacle between the enemies' position 
and the hospital ; so it could not have been accidental. I was taken 
away to a barn — not to the hospital- — and, later, to Braisne. 

British Soldier. 
h 48 In September at the battle of the Aisne, while I was in the trenches 

above Vailly, our wounded were in a church in the village of Vailly 
and the Germans began to shell it. Some one then put out a Red 
Cross flag from an opening in the steeple, but I saw that in spite of 
this the Germans not only continued to shell it, but seemed to do so 
more vigorously. We had then to remove our wounded into a large 
house about 50 yards away. 

British Soldier. 
At Courtonne (battle of the Aisne), about the middle of October 
last, there was a large house used as a Red Cross Depot with a huge 



205 

flag Imng out from the second cr third fiaor and reaching to the ground 
(made of tarpaulin). The Germans shelled the building continuously 
though not alv\cvs daily for the week I was there. We were after- 
wards relieved by the French, and I do not know what happened to 
the building afterwards. The building was injured while I was there, 
but so far as I know no one was hurt. 

While I was in the advance trenches at Beaulne* as a telephone 
operator, the 1st Welsh battalion, who were in the trenches with me, 
had been engaging a body of about 50 Germans some 200 to 300 yards 
away. I saw the Germ:ins cease firing and put up their hands waving 
white handkerchiefs. When some of the battalion went forward to 
take them prisoners the Germans behind opened fire on them with 
machine guns and they had to retire to the trenches, some being 
wounded. I cannot say how many. 

British Soldier. 
On the 25th October at Bois Grenier, I had just taken a despatch h 50 
to the firing line and was returning. A doctor asked me to show 
him where the field hospital was ; I showed him and went on my 
way. On my return, I found him dead with his arms and legs blown 
off by shell- fire within 20 yards of the hospital. This was at 1.30 p.m. 
and there was no firing by our troops from any point nearer than a 
mile. 

The hospital was a big private house at the end of the village 
which had been deserted all day. That village had been occupied 
"by us a few days before, but not for some days prior to the 25th. 
The Red Cross flag was flying all the time on October 25th, and the 
staff was tall enough for the flag to be easily seen above the building. 

British Soldier. 

On October the 30th, at about 7 a.m., I was wounded in the h51 
itrenches near Zonnebeke. I was ordered to report myself at the 
1st Field Ambulance, which was in a farmhouse about 600 yards 
in rear of the trenches. It was standing quite by itself on the 
side of the road. There was no battery or headquarters anywhere 
near it. After I had been in the farmhouse about half an hour it 
"began to be shelled ; shells hit it repeatedly, and the roof was blown 
in. We were all got into field ambulance wagons — there were three 
of them. We were to be taken to the Field Ambulance Brigade 
about 2 1 miles further in rear. We started under heavy shell fire, 
which was succeeded by shrapnel and rifle fire. The rifle fire came 
from a party of Germans on our right front who had somehow or 
other got through our lines — these Germans were about 250 yards 
off. There was nothing near the wagons to justify the shell, shrapnel, 
«or rifle fire. 

After we had gone about 200 j^ards those of us who were able to 
•^valk got out of the ambulance and ran along the ditch at the side 
of the road for cover. The rest stayed in the ambulance. The rifle 
£re followed us along the road for about a mile. The shell and 
shrapnel followed us right to the field ambulance. When we arrived 
there I saw that the field ambulance had begun to be fired on. I 
waited outside for about 10 minutes. The ambulance was in a farm- 
house, and was being hit by shell and shrapnel ; one of the farm 
buildings was quite demolished. Shrapnel went through the roof of 
the farm itself in several places. At the end of 10 minutes I went 
in an ambulance with a number of other wounded to Ypres. We 
had shrapnel bursting occasionally near the wagons on our way to 
Ypres. I do not think anyone was hit from first to last ; I saw no 

* ? 



206 

one. I cannot give the name of anyone in the ambulances; the 
nien all belonged to different regiments. Both the hospitals* were 
flying the Red Cross flag. 

British Soldier, N.C.O. 
Ii52 A-t Ploegsteert, some day in November, before the 13th (we had 

come in from Houphnes) the enemy artillery shelled two hospitals 
both conspicuous ; one, reel and white brick, on a side of a road with 
no houses between it and the enemy, having a Red Gross fia^g flying 
from a window ; the other, a white house (the last house) nearest 
the enemy — having a Red Cross flag hoisted at a chimney, and another 
from the window. The roof of the last was completely stripped 
and the patients had to be removed. All the windows of the other 
were broken by the explosion of a shell. The Field Ambulance took 
away the wounded. I could see this, and we retired just afterwards.. 

• 
British Soldier. 
1^53 I was in the hospital in Armentieres, with rheumatism. The 

hospital had been a civil hospital and flew the Red Cross flag. Soon, 
after I got in there the hospital was shelled. This shelling went on, 
while the wounded (including myself) were taken out in the ambu- 
lances towards Bailleul. This was in broad dajdight. All the other 
men there were strangers to me. 



ABUSE OF RED CROSS 

Belgian Soldier, Sergeant-Major. 
h 54 I was at Chaudfontaine with my whole battalion. We were cut off 

from the rest of the Belgian Army and eventually we escaped by 
night marches. We stopped a German motor. It was brought in 
by our gentries. It was an open car, grey in colour, and had a Red 
Cross flag on it. There were in it one officer, one non-commissioned 
officer, and two soldiers fully armed and not wounded. They had 
other arms in the car, more than enough for the four occupants. 
This was on August 10th or 11th. They were surprised at an ^-shaped 
bend in the road and unable to resist us. They were put in the Fort 
of Chaudfontaine. This was subsequently blown up by a GermaB 
shell falling in the magazine and they were all killed. 

British Soldier. 
h65 During the retreat from Mens, at a place called Noyon, I saw a- 

German Red Cross ambulance wagon in a ditch, the t"wo front wheels 
shattered to pieces. I could see a maxim gun tripod screwed to the 
floor just inside the doors at the back. There was a party of lis who* 
saw this. 

Belgian Soldier. 
h 56 , We were at Aerschot at the railway station. There arrived near 
' us a (German) ambulance wagon marked with the Red Cross, drawn 
by horses. We did not fire, thinking they were going to pick up 
their wounded; At 150 metres away from us they turned round the 
horses and opened the doors a,t the back and fired upon us with ^. 
maxim mitrailleuse. This was five o'clock in the evening, the 25i:,h.j 
or 26th, or 27th of August. We took cover at once, but there were 
one or two of us wounded. 



207 

Belgian Soldier, N.C.O. 

I was serving at Henne, near Liege, about the 9th or 10th Septem- h 57 
"ber. There are two of the Liege forts there. About 5 or 6 p.m. I saw 
a motor car carrying a Red Cross flag approaching 500 or 600 yards 
off. It approached without interference. Ahnost at the same time 
that I first saw it the car turned round to avoid a patrol. There 
were in the car an officer and three soldiers. The car was surrounded 
and no resistance was offered. I know that one of our officers saw 
the incident. The Germans in the car were all taken prisoners. 

Two hours later I saw two more cars carrying the red cross. They 
were coming along just exactly the same road and came up to within 
500 yards of our position. They came up past the first sentry. As they 
passed, a German on the platform of one of the cars fired at and killed 
the sentry. The other sentry called for reinforcements and fired at 
the cars, which turned round and escaped. 

In each case the cars bore a Red Cross flag spread out on the front 
of them. 

British Soldier, N.C.O. 

On 15th September 12.50 at Paissy Ridge (Aisne) we had repulsed h 58 
an attack of the Germans. The Northamptons were on our left. After 
the rejiulse we saw a party of Germans come out of the wood in our 
front about 600 yards off with four stretchers and a Red Cross flag 
waving. Our Colonel ordered the cease-fire and the party advanced 
■some 200 or 300 yards. The next thing we knew was five or 10 
minutes after the trenches were swept with maxim fire. Under cover 
of this a strong body of the enemy formed and advanced to take our 
trenches. They failed in this and we charged. When amongst their 
wounded after driving them ofl we found the stretchers with machine 
^ns still strapped in them. 

Belgian Soldier. 

On the 19th of September last I was present at Lierre, which is one h 59 
■of the forts in the first line of the defences at Antwerp. I was engaged 
in rebuilding the Kne of trenches. I saw a German Red Cross 
ambulance motor car coming towards me. The car was surrounded 
by a Belgian Army patrol, and when the car had got into the middle 
of the patrol the hood Avas suddenly opened from the top, the two halves 
of it pulling right down, and four machine guns were disclosed mounted 
in the car. The machine guns immediately opened fire on the Belgians 
and killed or wounded the greater part of them. As far as I could see 
there were four German soldiers working the guns, but there may have 
been others in the car who were helping to load the guns. The Belgian 
patrol had not fired a shot at the car before the machine guns were 
disclosed and started firing. Our troops then opened fire on the car 
and a general engagement took place, further German troops coming 
np. We repulsed this attack and captured the car. On examining 
the car we found that the hood was made of steel or metal and when 
the two halves were opened they fell back so as to cover and protect 
the wheels and the lower portions of the car. 

The chauffeur as soon as the guns in the car opened fire got off his 
seat and underneath the car. Neither the chauffeur nor the soldiers 
in the car had any red-cross marks on their uniform but there was a 
large red cross about 2^ feet high on either side of the hood and at the 
back. The car was painted grey. Every one of the soldiers in the 
car and the chauffeur were killed by us, not one of them escaped. 
There was no Belgian officer present when this incident took place, only 
a sergeant and a corporal. They belonged to the 6th Regiment of the 
Line. I did not notice the number of the regiment to which the 
German soldiers belonged and I am not sure that they had a nuiiibeB 



208 

on their uniforms. I do not think there was an officer in the cax. I 
was about 50 metres away when the car opened fire. 

. There were many wounded Germans near the trenches where I 
was working ; a number cf them had been wounded in a fight that 
had taken place here the preceding day during which there was a. 
bayonet charge. We understood that the motor car was coming to 
pick up these German wounded and thus it Avas that we allowed the 
car to come up. The car came up at an ordinary slow pace as if it had 
wounded in it and we had no suspicion of its real character. After it 
had been captured we broke up the whole car and it was smashed to» 
bits. It was also hit by German shells. 

Belgian Soldier. 
h 60 About the middle of September I and four others were in advance of 

my company. We were in a small village near Rotselaer. We were 
marching in the fields in the direction of Louvain. About 4 p.m. a 
motor car came along the road from the direction of Louvain. We. 
were each side of the road. The motor car got to within 300 or 400 
metres before anything happened. I had first seen the motor car 
when it was 700 or 800 metres away. There was a large red cross on 
the side of the car, so we allowed it to come on without firing. The 
red cross was a flag fixed to a stick. When about 300 metres away the. 
car stopped and turned and a mitrailleuse opened fire on us from the 
motor-car. 

Belgian Soldier. 
h 61 I was present when the Germans attacked Belgian Infantry of 

the Line near Bornhem, which is between the Scheldt and Malines,, 
towards the end of September. The Germans had made a bayonet 
charge on the Belgian trenches and a great many of the Germans, 
had been killed and wounded by the Belgian machine guns. After 
the Germans withdrew a short distance, a German Red Cross motor 
ambulance drove along a road on the flank of the Belgian position and 
leaving the road came over the fields between Belgian trenches and the. 
Germans. The ambulance was turned round and backed a little 
distance so that the rear of it was turned towards the Belgian trenches.. 
Men with stretchers, wearing Red Cross brassards, descended from_ 
the ambulance, apparently to pick up wounded. The Belgians stopped- 
fiLring, and the hanging curtains at the rear of the car were drawn- 
aside and fire was opened with a machine gun from the ambulance 
along the Belgian trenches. Belgian guns opened fire upon the 
ambulance and it withdrew. The men who fired with the machine 
gun were dressed as Red Cress men with brassards and before firing; 
started with a stretcher. I M-as in a position on a hill about 9C0 
metres from where the ambulance was with 14 others men under a- 
sergeant who also saw what happened. We were in charge of two> 
quick-firing 55 millimetre guns. This happened in the morning. The 
Germans arrived in great numbers and there was no time to ask any 
questions about what the ambulance did, but very many, I think the 
most of the men in that part of the trench, are dead and many were 
killed then. The position we occupied was an advanced position from 
the Fort of Bornhem. 

British Officer.* 
h 62 At about 10.30 a.m. on the 23rd October, 1914, I was with a party 

of my men in a ditch about 70 yards south of a trench and isolated 
cottage occupied by German infantry (part of the 211th Regiment, I 
afterwards found out from the numerals embroidered on the shoulder 
straps of those killed, wounded, and taken prisoner). 

* This is a statement made in writing by the oiScer in question. It is not a, 
deposition. 



209 

Rifle fire was directed upon us from the above-mentioned trench 
and after we had replied for some minutes, lire was opened upon us- 
and upon others of our regiment from the cottage which was flying a 
Red Cross flag. I was sufficiently close to be able to see the muzzle 
of a rifle protruding from an upper window. Subsequently, we sur- 
rounded the house and took a number of armed un wounded prisoners. 

Belgian Refugee, 
Some time during the first week in November I saw at Herve, in h Q^^ 
the Rue Moreau, several motor cars bearing the German Red Cross 
upon them. They came from the direction of the German frontier 
and were on their way to Liege. One of them struck a heap of stones 
and was overturned in the street mentioned. Two quite close to the 
spot, about 20 yards from where the car overturned. Two German 
officers and some soldiers were in the car and when it overturned I 
saw, myself, artillery ammunition, namely, shells and other things, 
thrown on to the ground. They had fallen from the Red Cross car 
and were afterwards put back into it by the soldiers in charge of it, lit 
was a covered car mth large red crosses on the sides. 

Belgian Soldier. 

In the battle of Tirlemont I was with my regiment at a small town h M 
which the Germans had set on fire — I do not know the name of the 
town — it was about three miles from Tirlemont in the direction of 
Diest. 

An engagement was proceeding between our first line of troops and 
the Germans, and I was in the second line of troops. While we were 
waiting for an order to advance an ambulance or stretcher came up, 
apparently carried by Belgian Red Cross men. It came to about 
200 yards away from us and then, to our astonishment, fire was opened 
from it on to us and we then discovered that instead of the stretcher 
containing a wounded Belgian soldier, as we had supposed, it contained 
a mitrailleuse and was manned by German soldiers dressed in Belgian 
uniforms wearing the Red Cross. 

Belgian Soldier. 
At Vissenaeken, near Tirlemont, the Belgian soldiers had an h^ 
engagement with the German troops and had to retreat. I was after- 
wards with mj^ company in a little garden, and saw some German 
soldiers, dressed as Belgian soldiers, carrying stretchers. As they 
passed they saw us, and some of them shot at us. My company then 
retreated into a large field and joined the other Belgian soldiers. Som© 
of the German soldiers whom I had previously seen (who were dressed 
in Belgian uniforms) then shot at us with a mitrailleuse, at a distance 
of some 50 to 60 metres. There were between five and nine Germans 
with the mitrailleuse, and about 17 Belgian soldiers were wounded by 
shots from the mitrailleuse. These German soldiers were wearing the 
uniforms of Belgian infantry soldiers, and I am absolutely certain that 
they were in fact German soldiers. 



ABUSE OF THE WHITE FLAG 

Belgian Refugee. 
On the 6th August, in afternoon between tliree and four o'clock, ^^ 
in the country between Vottem and Liege, I was looking out of a little 
window in the Rue Ferdinand Nicolas, where I live. I saw ICO to 



I 67 



68 



210 

150 Germans in the open country ; they were being fired at by Belgian 
soldiers who were firing from the shelter of the standing corn* The 
Germans all suddenly held up their hands and threw down their guns 
wi! VF^'I soldiers came out into the open towards the Germans, 
wnen the Belgians were quite close some Germans pulled revolvers 
out and shot some of the Belgians. I afterwards saw many (33) 
J5elgians_and 13 Germans at this very spot, they were all killed All 
the Belgians and Germans were buried in the churchyard at Vottem. 
1, helped to dig the graves. I can give no names of victims. 

BELGiA;!«f Soldier. 
When I \^^as at Liege in August, I saw shells falling on the hospital, 
although there was a Red Cross flag flying. 

At Antwerp in September I saw in the hospital at Boom an oM 
woman of 70 years of age with two bullet wounds in her head • she 
was still alive when I saw her. In the same hospital I saw a small 
boy 13 years old, with his left hand cut off above the wrist. " L'Hopital 
de la Croix-Rouge a Boom " (one of the suburbs of Antwerp). The 
name and address of a nurse there who would bear this out I have 
written down m my note-book ; she nursed this child. The hospital 
was a school transformed into a hospital. I was taken to this hospital 
tor three days from Ramsdonek, where there had been fighting 
1 was suffering from hernia as the result of a strain in Hfting a wounded 
man on to an ambulance. In the same hospital I saw a civiUan from 
one of the villages round (aged 30 or 32), who was suffering from 
three or four shots m the back, which I was told he had been given 
after the Germans had made him hold up his hands and face the wall. 
Ihe man could not move at all in his bed. 

At Haecht in September I saw the dead body of a voung girl nailed 
to the outside door of a cottage by her hands. I am sure there were 
no nails m the feet. She was about 14 or 16 years oM. I was out 
on a reconnaissance with three others of the same regiment, one of 
them a sous-officer. The village had been occupied by the Germans 
for a fortnight, and they had just been driven out. I cannot say the 
exact date. I was alone when I saw it— 100 yards in advance, but 
I reported it later to the officer. 

At Haecht in September I was in a trench and the Germans in a 
trench opposite showed the white flag. We got up to receive their 
surrender— they were 250^ to 300 yards away— and immediately a 
mitrailleuse opened fire on us, killing three and wounding twenty 
{see plan m book, opposite p. 11). The officer of the company behind 
us thought that the gun was hidden in a tree. We had destroyed 
a house nearly, but the firing went on afterwards. They showed the 
flag a second time, and my officer was inclined to think we might go 
out, as the first might have been a mistake. But the mitrailleuse 
fired again at once ; but our men were quicker under cover this time, 
they hardly showed themselves. As soon as we started firing, the 
white flag appeared for the third time. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I have taken part in the war since the beginning. I was at Liege 
and was in four battles : Liege, MaHnes, Haecht and Wiflbroeck. At 
the battle of Haecht — there was a four days' engagement there — 
towards the end of the battle I was taking part in the pursuit of about 
30 Germans. We were about 30 or 35. The Germans turned suddenly 
and one of them held up a white flag or cloth. It was attached to a 
bayonet. The others also made token of surrender, holding up their 
hands. We, therefore, ceased firing and were about to take them 
prisoners when they began to fire upon us. We had to retreat. 



211 

British Soldier. 

In Aug'ust, about the 29th, we were advancing about 100 kilometres i h 69 
from Vauresis, as advance guard for the 2nd Division. We followed 
a road up a hill, then we extended and advanced in open order towards 
a railway on an embankment, from which fire was opened by the 
enemy, who u.sed it as a trench . We lay down and returned the fire 
for half an hour, rapid firing. One white flag was hoisted by the 
enemy, but we kept on firing until we saw some more flags — about 
five big ones 12 yards apart. We ceased fire and got up, and advanced 
50 yards to take them prisoners. Then the enemy reopened fire on 
us. We then lay down and went on firing, and as reinforcements 
came up we captured about 200 of them. 

On the 16th September, I got lost after a bayonet charge from my 
battalion near Bucy-le-Long at night in the pouring rain ; I met the 
Army Service Corps Supply and Transport Column to the 4th Division. 
I stayed wth them for two days. We had to take food to 4th Division, 
who had had none for two claj^'s owing to the heavy fire. We went 
to the inn in Bucy-le-Long. The ambulance waggons were followd.ng 
us to get up to the 4th Division to receive wounded. We ga.lloped 
across an open space of ground and were shelled. Only the ambulance 
waggons were hit, and the wheel was knocked off one of them. This 
was the day time. The ambulance waggons vv^ere clearly marked with 
the B.ed Cross. After this all transport work was done at night.' 

British Soldier (Sergeant). ' ' 

At Barsville,* in a village near it, on 8th September on a Saturdi^jf h 70 
[noted in a book 'produced'] we, were hPolted in the village. We had 
shelled the Oermans out of it. Everything was smashed up. In 
one particular house I went in with Private F ... we saw an old 
man by the fireside strangled ; an old woman in a bed in a room off 
the kitchen who seemed to have been strangled. In an orchard we 
found a young girl about 15 or 17 ; her dress v/as opened and an 
English bayonet in her heart. Both breasts had been cut off. The 
regimental doctor, since dead, came and saw it for himself. 

At a place near Nesle (6th September) we were advancing against 
the Germans, who were 300 yards off. They put up a white flag cm. 
a lance and ceased fire. No. 4 Company went forward to take them 
prisoners. They dropped the white flag and opened fire at a distance 
of 100 yards. We dropped on the ground but we had 20 men killed 
and five wounded. They surrendered afterwards as our artillery fire 
was too hot for them. , 

British Soldier. 

It was on the Aisne, on the 14th of September, we were in the h 71 
front trenches ; the enemy were entrenched 200 or 300 yards away, 
It was daylight. A number of white flags were put up and the enemy 
ceased fire. We ceased fire, and A Company went under command of 
Captain C . . . The enemy fell down flat, and the enemy behind 
opened fire and a number of our men were killed. Some other regiment 
used their maxims on our right, and we went on and captured the 
enemy. My brother, of the same company, a private, was there and 
saw it too. 

British Soldier. 

On the Aisne, not far from Soissons, we were advancing against h 72 
the Oermans, when they suddenly put up a white flag and ceased fire. 
There were 200 or 300 of them. We advanced to take them prisoners, 
when another party behind the 200 or 300 opened fire on us when we 
came near up. A number of our men were shot down. Then we 
charged and took most of them prisoners. 

* Basse ViHe. 



212 



n 



British Soldier. 
On the Aisne on the third or fourth day of the battle, in September 
we were m the front line of trenches. It was dayhght. The enemy 
on our right hoisted the white flag facing A Company. They ceased 
fare and five or six of A Company went out. These got quite close 
to the enemy's trenches when the white flag was lowered and fire 
reopened on our men. The whole party fell. 

British Soldier. 

S 74 I recollect Sunday afternoon, 20th September ; I remember the 

date because I had 12 months' service all but two days. We were 
entrenched across the Aisne about 400 or 500 yards, as a rough guess. 
We went into those trenches the evening before. I was on the right 
of my regiment's trenches. The West Yorkshires were entrenched 
about 40 or 50 yards to our right. There was a ridge about 200 yards 
m front of us which sloped down so that the ground in front of the 
West Yorkshires was quite flat. There was a turnip field there. Our 
patrol (six men and an N.C.O.) which had been on top of the ridge in 
front of us came in about 2.45 with the news that the enemy were 
advancing on the right. I was the third man from the right of our 
trench. About half an hour later I saw the enemy advancing in 
column of fours opposite the West Yorkshires. There was a man in 
front alone carrying above his head a white flag on a stick. All the 
men in the ranks had their arms above their heads with their rifles 
over their heads. There were 600 or 800 of them. I saw them first 
when they were about 300 yards off the West Yorkshires. We started 
firing at them as soon as we saw them as we got orders ; they were 
whispered along from man to man. Private S ... can speak to 
the white flag incident. The West Yorkshires ceased firing when 
the Germans were about level with the ridge. The Northamptons 
liad told us when we relieved them that the Germans had tried the 
white flag game on them, and that it was a trap. The Germans got 
Tight up to the W^est Yorkshires' trenches, and a nice few of them 
^ot beyond the trenches. The Germans advanced diagonally from 
Seft to right. They stood over the West Yorkshires with their bayonets, 
and compelled two companies to surrender. After that they started 
to fire at us with rifles ; we had a lot of casualties. Some of the 
€ermans doubled back to their own lines with the West Yorkshires 
prisoners : some stayed and blazed away at us ; they were lying 
down and kneeling. Our supports the Notts and Derbys came up, 
and we were then able to compel them to retire. There was another 
lot of Germans ; that too with another white flag came from behind 

L the ridge, and made for a haystack about 500 yards away on the right 

of theWest Yorkshires ; they had machine guns ; they were compelled 
to retire after our supports came up. 

Note. — The evidence of Private S ... has been obtained and he 
bears out the above story. 

British Soldier. 

75 In September, in Le Gheer wood near Ploegsteert, we were ad- 

vancing on the road. Some Germans were by a farmhouse, and they 
showed a white flag. Captain S . . . with D Company went forward 
to take them prisoners. The enemy suddenly opened fire on the com- 
pany and killed a great many of them. Those that were left retired, 
and the Germans retired also. There were a great many of our men 
wounded. 

British Soldier. 

^^ On the Marne some time in September about 4.30 p.m. we were in 

the trenches. The German trenches were 200 yards off. They raised 






213 

a white flag and came out of their trenches. They did not appear to 
have rifles. Major A . . . sent out a corporal and ten men to meet 
them. I was one. We got out about 60 yards. The Germans waited 
for us. They threw themselves on the ground and started firing on us. 
I think they must have placed their rifles at some time outside their 
trenches ready to pick up. Two of our men were wounded, we worked 
into a ditch at the side to escape. 

British Soldier. 

On 13th October, at Methines,* the Germans were entrenched in h77 
front of the village. We advanced, C Company being on our right. 
A party of Germans put up the white flag — about 40 or 50. C Company 
with Major C . . . went forward to take them prisoners. There 
was a farmhouse on the right. Suddenly from its windows poured 
rifle fire and fire from a maxim gun. C Company was practically cut 
up. Our company and D Company charged them and took the 
farmhouse. 

British Officer. 

Between the 17th and 20th October, at a village near Moorslede, I h 78 
was commanding the advanced troop of my squadron. At the village 
I was told that there were Germans in front along the road. I dis- 
mounted my men, and we marched out and found about six of the 
enemy in some allotments, apparently a patrol or detached post. 
We lined the road and fired on them. As we fired some more appeared, 
and they ran into a small brick cow-house. Another troop came up in 
support, and we continued to fire on the enemy whenever they came 
to the door of the house. Then one of the enemy came out and vv^aved 
a white flag and my squadron leader gave order to cease fire. Then 
we advanced towards the cow-house. I was about 200 yards away. 
We took two wounded prisoners on the way. 

When we had got within 100 yards of the cow-house the enemy 
ran out and there were some others under cover, all of whorn fired on 
us. Those in the cowhouse ran back to join them. Then we had to 
fall back on the road. 

British Soldier. 

On October 18th (I am sure of the date, because it was the day h 79 
before my birthday on October 19th) we were in trenches at Ypres, 
I saw a white flag hoisted from the German trenches ; we stopped 
firing, and then a large body of German soldiers, about 800 or 900, 
advanced towards us over the open country in a dense mass. A man 
in the middle of the front row — I cannot say whether he was an 
officer or not — was holding a white flag over his shoulder — everyone 
behind must have seen it. The trenches of my regiment were about 
400 yards long, and the enemy advanced straight towards them. They 
had been severely shelled in their own trenches. 

They advanced to about 150 yards of us. We had not been firing 
while they were advancing, as we thought they were surrendering. 
But suddenly they started firing at us from close range, and we then 
replied. We suffered some loss because of this treachery ; I know 
Captain K . . . was killed on this occasion ; he was quite close to me 
when he was hit. 

The Germans lost heavily before they regained their own trenches 
— there was no cover for them till they got there. 

British Soldier (N.C.O.). 
It was at Houplines towards the middle of October we were hSO 
entrenched, and on of the Scottish regiments was entrenched imme- 
diately in front of us. The enemy suddenly put a white flag at each 

* ? Messines. 



214 

end of their trench and ceased fire. The Soots then went out to take 
them prisoners. The enemy kept the flags up but opened jfire on the 
advancing party. These were reinforced by others of the' same 
battalion and successfully captured the trench. 

I could see this plainly. Other members of the machine gun sec- 
tion, in which I was, saw this. At the end of October or beginning of 
November, while we were entrenched, there was a large hospital flying 
the Red Cross flag which was being practiealty smashed to atoms by 
shell fire from a big siege gun. The wounded patients tried to escape 
and some crawled up to the trenches for safety. The trench was below 
a ridge and gave some shelter. This was in Mil daylight in the after- 
noon. 

British Soldier, 

h 81 In October, not far from Armentieres, we were ordered to cross a 

bridge under the enemy's fire, and we got the upper hand of the enemy, 
and followed them into the village, where we put a barricade across 
the road. I was on sentry-go by a house out of which we drove two 
Germans. In the house were a woman very upset, and the daughter 

~ on the bed upstairs, uneonscioiis. The woman indicated to us by 

mgns that the Germans had raped her daughter and from the appear- 
ance of the daughter I believe that may have happened. We did not 
stop very long, but retired. 

Later, at the end of the month, near Nieppe, we had orders to 
advance and reinforce some Inniskillens at & farm house. We did so 
and advanced under heavy fire to a trench, and about 200 Germans 
in a trench in front of us ceased fire and hoisted a white flag. We 
then went forward to capture them and they suddenly opened fire. 
In spite of this we captured 150 of them with the help of the Inniskillens. 
In a small village of seven or eight houses we found a party of Royal 
Inniskillens, prisoners of some Germans, whom we captured. Private 
P . . . and many others, about eight, now alive, can bear me out in 
this, who were in the same company.. 

British Soldier. 
h 82 On the 11th November, about 2 or 3 o'clock in the alternoon, we 

were driving back some of the Germans who had broken through our 
lines. We drove them into some woods. In front of the woods were 
open fields. We had just got to the edge of these fields and the 
Germans had reached the woods a few minutes when I saw two ^vhite 
flags. They appeared to be on aticks and were waved by men fairly 
close together. There was no firing going on. We were advancing 
at the time. We continued the advanced after the white flags were 
shown and got up to within about 200 yards of the wood. The Germans 
then dropped the white flag and opened fire on us with rifles and 
machine guns. We were ordered to halt. I was hit and do not know 
what happened ajter. 

Belgian Soldier, 

h 83 At Aerschot I was with a company of my regiment and a number 

of German soldiers approached us carrying a white flag, and blowing 
a blast on the trumpet. We advanced towards the Germans, and then 
they opened fire upon us, and I saw that behind this advance guard 
there were hundreds of other German soldiers. One of our lieutenants 
was killed, and other soldiers were wounded as a result of the firing 
under the protection of the white flag. 

I also saw the white flag on other houses between Aerschot and 

' Campenhout, from which German soldiers fired at oiu' troops. The 

Germans afterwards fired these houses. I and a comrade assisted a 
woman and her four children to escape from one of the houses which 
were burned. 



2m 

British Soldier. 
Three weeks ago at La Bassee, I was in the trenches with C Com- h 84 
pany. A party of the enemy advanced without arms or equipment, 
holding a white flag. A Company went forward to take the enemy 
prisoners ; fire opened from the enemy trenches, while the party with 
the white flag lay flat on the ground — and most of A Company got shot 
— a few only getting back. I was in a trench about 50 yards &wa.j and . 
saw it. 

Belgian Soldier. 

I am a Belgian soldier, attached to the 25th Regiment of Infantry, h 85 
stationed at Antwerp. 

I am 22 years of age. I speak Flemish and French and German. 

I was with my regiment at Haeeht, and there saw some houses 
from which were hung the white flag. The German soldiers were in 
these houses, and shot at the Belgian soldiers from them, and as a 
result many of my comrades were killed. The German soldiers were 
infantrjanen. 



.MISOELLANEOUS- STATEMENTS 
RELATING TO BELGIUM. 

Tailor. 

On the day after the engagement at Haelen in the month of August k 1 
I went to Haelen. On the way back, namely, at Schaffen, I saw the 
Ibody of a young woman of about 19 years of age who had been taken 
out of the well. She had been thrown into the well by Germans, 
after having, I was informed, been killed by bayonet wounds. 

I was informed by the villagers of Sehaffen that the Germans had 
placed the sexton of Schafien on to a ladder, and that they then put 
the ladder on fii-e, and the sexton had been afterwards burned to death. 
I do not know the name of the sexton. I was also informed that 
the priest of Schaffen had had his feet battered by a German soldier 
with the butt end of his rifle. 

I was also informed that a man who kept an inn called the " Black 
Ring," at a place between Schaffen and Deuren, had been shot, and 
also his serving man, against the wall of his house, and that no reason 
had been given for this. The people said in their opinion the Germans 
committed the outrages because they were enraged at being defeated 
by the Belgian soldiers at Haelen. 

On the day I left a place called Bourg Leopold, namely, about the 
19th August, the German soldiers followed the civilians who were 
fleeing with me, and fired at us. I saw three men wounded : — 
(Names given). These three men were all unarmed civilians. 

At Bourg Leopold there is a hospital for consumptive, soldiers. 
Some German soldiers came (I do not know the name of their regiment), 
and they dragged all the patients out of the hospital, both soldiers 
and officers, and also the staff — ^there were 52 men in all — and made 
them all prisoners. One of the patients was a German officer : he 
was also taken out of the hospital and taken away ; and I was informed 
tiiat he died at Berenghen. 

A telegraph boy, aged about 13, came to the hospital, apparently 
with a message. I saw some German soldiers seize this boy by the 
throat, and also kick him. The boy's father was also present, and 



216 

he bagged them not to hit his son. He was taken prisoner. The boy 
was also taken prisoner, and I understand he was sent to GarmSlny. 

The German soldiers consisted of cavalry, infantry, and artillery- 
men, but I do not know the names of their regiments. 

Belgian Refugee. 
t 2 About the 19th of August I was standing in the road at Schaffen. 

There were two Belgian soldiers with a mitrailleuse, and one of them 
asked me to help with the gun and harness a horse to it. I did so. 
There were 20 or 30 thousand Germans in the neighbourhood and 
Schaffen was full of them. There were only about 80 Belgian soldiers 
in Schaffen at the time. After I had helped harness the horse I ran 
to go home to Diest to look for my wife and family. I had left home 
at 8.30 in the morning and the Germans had not then come to Diest. 
I had gone about 60 metres from the place where I had helped with 
the horse when straight ahead of me I saw a woman in a " cabinet." 
She was with a small child to whom she was attending. I was about 
12 metres from the cabinet when I saw a German soldier come out 
of a house on my right. I stopped and stooped below the brow of 
the hill so as not to be seen by the German. I saw the German go 
into the cabinet. It was then about 11 o'clock a.m. I saw the 
soldier fire at the woman and child — two shots — and then the German 
left and returned to the house from which he had come. My brother 
Edmond was with me at the time and saw it too. I waited until 
about 12.30. My brother waited longer. 

Almost immediately after I saw the woman and child shot I saw 
about 1,000 metres away a woman come out of a farmhouse to my 
left. She had gone about 10 yards when I sav/ a soldier follow the 
woman out of the house. She was running. The soldier caught her 
up and bayoneted in the back. My brother saw this too. He lives 
in Diest too. The woman was wearing a blue dress. The soldier 
returned to the same house from which he had come. 

I went home. I do not know the names of either of these women, 
but I knew them by sight as living in Schaffen. I know of no reason 
why these women should have been killed. I had seen no fighting in 
Schaffen. 

Belgian Soldier. 
k 3 At Haelen, about August the 20th, I was with my regiment in 

the trenches. The next day after the battle we were on patrol duty 
and when in a wood I saw the body of a carabinier hanging on a tree ; 
the chest and stomach were cut open and the heart had been taken 
out. This was a spot about 300 metres behind the German lines. 

Belgian Soldier. 
k4 When marching from Haelen to Antwerp, at the village before 

Lierre, I picked up a wounded boy six and a half years of age. He 
had a gunshot wound in the left thigh. I took him to a Red Cross 
Ambulance and the Red Cross Ambulance took him to the Antwerp 
Military Hospital. Six or seven days later, when I myself was wounded 
I was taken to the same hospital. The child was in bed No. 1 and 
I was in bed No. 4. I saw the child wounded by the Germans as 
they fired at civilians who were leaving houses which they desired 
to occupy. The child fell wounded on the road and I picked him 
up. The Germans were near the civilians when they fired upon them 
and must have known they were escaping from their houses. 

Also at Haelen les Diest, on the side of a main road, as we were 
retiring, I saw the body of a Belgian carabinier hung by a halter on 
a tree. His stomach was ripped open. We cut him down and buried 
him. The officer in charge ordered us to cut the man down and 



217 

bury him. Others besides that saw him. I do not know the precise 
date, but it was shortly before the investment of Antwerp. 

Civil Engineer — Belgian Volunteer. 

I was employed as a despatch rider by the General Staff of the ^ 5 
Belgian Army. I used my own car for this purpose. I made frequent 
journej'S in my car in carrying out my duties. Onthe ITih August, 1914, 
I was wour ded twice, bit I was able to continue my du1 i?s. In carrying 
out my duties on this day I motored from Namur to Brussels via Gem- 
bloux. In the market place of Gembloux on the morning of this day I saw 
a woman completely naked who had been pinned to the door of a 
house by a sword being driven right through her chest. Her breasts 
had been cut off. She was, of course, quite dead. I stopped a few 
minutes to look at this sight, but I did not take any steps to take 
the body down as I was on duty and had to continue my journey 
to Brussels. I did not report what I had seen to any of my superiors 
as there were more important affairs to speak about. The town was 
quite empty and there was nobody of whom I could make inquiries 
as to this incident. 

When I left Gembloux I proceeded to Wavre. This was on the 
same day, the 17th August. At Wavre I saw upon the pavement 
at the side of the road the body of a young woman, quite naked, 
which had been cut open from the lower abdomen up to the breast. 
Her hair was hanging down. I had no time to make any inquiries 
about this incident as I left Wavre almost immediately for the same 
reasons that I have mentioned above. Being on the staff, I knew 
that the Germans had been to Gembloux and Wavre just previous 
to my passing through these towns and I have no reason to suppose 
that these atrocities were committed by the Belgian Army on their 
own compatriots. 

On the 17th of August in the afternoon I was wounded in the left 
arm by a bayonet, but I bound up the wound and continued my 
duty. On the 18th August at 3 o'clock in the afternoon I was wounded 
in the right arm by a shell which hit my right arm with which I was 
guiding the car. My hand was hanging from my arm from the effect 
of the shell. Later on that same afternoon my hand was amputated. 
It was at Namur that I was operated upon. On the morning of the 
21st August I left Namur and went on foot by Moustier as far as 
FalisoUe. The fighting was going on all around me and I had con- 
stantly to avoid shells. At Falisolle I was able to get on board a 
train and went as far as Chatelineau. We could not go any further 
because the Germans had cut the railway line. I therefore went on 
foot as far Charleroi. The railway station was on fire there. The 
square in front of the station was full of people killed and wounded, 
both soldiers and civilians, and there were numbers of people running 
backwards and forwards. Some voluntary railway workers got 
together a train in order to take the civilians out of the town. The 
train was filled, chiefly with civilians, but as it left the station the 
Germans shelled the train. The Germans could not have known that 
there were any Belgian soldiers in the train. There were not more than 
three or four Belgian soldiers on the whole train and they were wounded. 

I got on this train myseK and went in it as far as Tournai. From 
the train I could see that the whole of the lower town of Charleroi 
was in flames. From Charleroi to Tournai the train was subjected 
to constant bombardment and I saw the battle going on the whole 
way. I passed through the English lines on my way, but I did not 
see any French troops. I arrived at Tournai at 10.30 p.m. and spent 
the night there. On the next morning I went to the Hotel de Ville 
and got my passport vised by the Belgian authorities. I then pro- 
ceeded on foot and when I had gone a short distance from Tournai 



218 

I was told that a large German column was advancing. I therefore 
cut across some potato fields just outside Tournai, crawling on my 
stomach in order to avoid the Germans and in this fashion I arrived 
at Blondin. When I got to Blondin I found myself in the midst of 
the German Army which was directing itself towards Lille. There 
was both cavahy and artillery. I was taken prisoner and I was 
made to stand against the wall with my face towards the wall and 
to raise my arms. They were about to shoot me, but before doing 
so asked me some questions. They asked me how I lost my right 
hand and whether it was in the war. I replied it was ,not due to the 
war. They then asked me how I came by the uniform of a Belgian 
soldier which I was wearing. I was anxious not to give them any 
information about the war and I therefore told them that I had met a 
Belgian soldier and had lent him my civilian clothes and taken his 
uniform. It was a German artillery officer who asked me these 
questions and he spoke very good French. They then searched my 
pockets and my knapsack. In my pocket book they found 1,800 Fs. 
in Belgian money. The artillery officer robbed me of this money 
and then told me I was free to go. Fortunately he did not find my 
purse in which I had some Belgian money in gold. I then proceeded 
on foot to Roubaix, passing through Baisieux on the French frontier. 
I arrived at Roubaix on the night of the 23rcl August and put up at 
the hotel there. The next morning I had my passport vised at 
Roubaix. I left Roubaix on foot at about mid-day and walked to 
Tourcoing. I stayed the night at Tourcoing. The next morning 
on the 25th August I walked to Comines. At Gomines I was told 
I could get a train to Ostend and after waiting many hours I got a 
train, and eventually arrived at Ostend on the evening of the 27th. 

Belgian Soldier. 
k 6 Between the 15th and 20th of September I was on patrol between 

Werchter and Aerschot, having left Aerschot. The countryside had 
been occupied by the Germans, and we were making a reconnaissance 
to look for any that might be about. There were four of us on the 
patrol. While proceeding I came to a house, before the door of which 
stood a young girl about 18 or 19 years of age. I said to her, " Mll^. 
have you seen any Germans passing this way ? " She replied, " No."' 
I then asked her to let me into the house but she refused, so I waited 
till the sergeant came up for I was going on in front. He gave me 
the order to go into the house and we made the young girl prisoner. 
Going into the house we saw a woman with her hands tied behind 
her to a table against which she was leaning quite naked. Her breasts 
were badly cut, but not cut off. She was perhajjs 40 years of age. 
She was still alive and was very relieved to see us, for there were two 
Germans still in the house. Tied to her by the same cord were three 
or four little girls, round about four or five years of age. The children 
were not wounded. Besides this there was a man on the ground 
quite naked, his hand and feet crossed and tied together with a cord. 
He was lying on the brick floor of the room and strewn around him 
was a quantity of straw. When we went into t/he house I saw leaning 
over him, a German who I think was a non-commissioned officer, for 
he had something gold on his shoulder, and had some gold stripes ; 
near him was a second German, a private soldier. The non-com- 
missioned officer had in his hand a box of matches. The moment 
he saw us coming in, he let fall the box of matches, and made his 
escape out of the window. I immediately cut the cord which bouEd 
the woman to the table and to the children. We put her in a chair, 
gave her her clothes, and something to drink. After that, her husband, 
who was the -man on the ground, took her in charge, and we left. 
The second German we took prisoner and the non-commissiijned 



219 

officer was captared by gendarmes in the wood which comes to within 
30 or 40 yards of the hoiise. i 

Englishwoman married to Belgian. 
In October last I was at my husband's house at a Httle town not 
far from Antwerp. Two German soldiers came to our house and one 
of them asked me for beer ; I said I had no beer, but I offered them 
food. He asked me where I came from and I said I was Enghsh. 
He abused the English. He noticed some rings on my hand and asked 
for them. I refused them. He took off two. The other was my 
wedding ring and fitted tightly. He could not remove it, but said if 
I did not he would cut m}^ finger off. I then managed to get it off 
and handed it to him. The two soldiers then seized me. They drove 
two nails into the wall, and after removing the whole of my clothes, 
bound me with cords all round my arms and body, and fastened me 
to the wall. One of them then left. The other then took my baby, 
14 months old, from my arms and put it on the table, from which it 
fell on to the floor. He then asked me to have connection with him. 
I refused, stating I was about to be confined ; he then said he would 
burn me and brought straw and petrol into the room. He made no 
attempt to have forcible connection with me. He poured petrol on 
the straw and set light to it. It was then that the child fell off the 
table. The fire reached my feet and the cord caught fire and then 
slackened so that I was able to free myseK before I was burnt. The 
child was, however, slightly singed. As soon as I could get free I 
picked up the child and ran out of the house with nothing on. My 
clothes were burning on the floor, but outside the house I had some 
linen out to dry and' I put some of it on. Before the soldier left me 
he took away my husband's bicycle and all the money in the house, 
which amounted to about M. There were neighbours' houses near by, 
bnt whilst these things were happening to me they had run away. 
Our house was halt burnt so as to be uninhabitable. I went to my 
husband's aunt's house, about half a mile away. Two or three days 
later I went back to my own house and picked out what few things 
had not been burnt. I returned to my husband's aunt and stayed 
there about a fortnight until my husband came home. After my 
husband returned we were warned that the Germans were again 
coming, and we fled. My husband, the child and I slept that night 
in the open. Next morning we went for warmth and shelter to a 
neighbour's house (a public house), and whilst we were there a German 
soldier came to the house. After making various inquiries he knocked 
the landlord down. I thought at the time that this man was killed, as 
he lay some time on the ground, but he was not really hurt much. The 
German then took my husband and locked him up in a room ; there 
Avas no one else about. He then came to the room where I was in bed. 
I got out of bed and asked him to fetch a doctor as I was ill. He said, 
" I am a doctor," and told me to get back into bed. He then had 
connection with me from behind. I begged him not to do this, telhng 
him I was about to be confined, but he insisted. He then asked me 
for money and I told him it had all been taken from me, and my house 
burnt. The German then left, and 1 let my husband out and we ran 
away, but before we could reach shelter my baby was born in the open 
fields. It died a few days later. 

Belgian Soldier. 
The 6th September I was fighting in the wood of Buggenhout near 
Tmpe, which is close to Malines. I received a bullet in the shoulder 
and could not retreat with my regiment. I took refuge under a little 
bridge. I was in water up to the waist. The bridge was over a ditch 
on one side of the road and a farmhouse stood on the other side. I 



220 

saw the Germans go to the farm and bring out the farmer and tak3 
him back into the wood. I do not know what happened t<^ him. 
Another party of Germans came along and entered the farm. They 
found a girl there about 24 years old and dragged her out into the 
country, and about 6 or 7 yards from me. They tried to violate the 
girl, but £he fought. Her clothes got torn. She struck one of them 
across the face and he drew his bayonet. While one held the girl he cut 
the girls' breast, which was bare. He cut it, but not off entirely. 
Just then the Belgian cannon sounded again and they put the girl in a 
wheelbarrow and wheeled her off into the wood. The advance of the 
Belgians enabled me to escape. The house was pillaged. 

Belgian Soldier : Cloth Merchant. 
k 9 Behind the barracks of the 1st Regiment of Chasseurs a Pied at 

Charleroi towards the end of August or the beginning of September, 
I saw a gentleman in civilian clothing. He was probably a German. 
He was posing German soldiers against the wall of the barracks. There 
were five or six of them. He then sent for some Belgian civilians and 
made them take the rifles of the German soldiers. Next he ordered 
them to take a,im at the German soldiers. The Gentleman in civilian 
clothes, whom I have mentioned above, had a little photographic 
camera. He took a snapshot of the group of civilians taking aim at 
the German sokliers. I was actually in the street. I was convalescent 
after having been wounded, and I was wearing civilian clothiug. I was 
a hundred yards off. The gentleman spoke, but I did not hear what 
he said. 

Belgian Refugee. 
k 10 In October I was on the Boulevard Anspach at Brussels with a 

commercial traveller whom I knew very well, but whose name I do 
not know. While I was with him a German officer whom he knew 
told him in the course of conversation in my presence that he /that is 
to say, the officer) had not done one hundredth part of what had been 
ordered by the high German military authorities. He said this to 
excuse himself to my companion, who had reproached him with the 
atrocities which hacl been committed in Belgium. The officer told 
us he had lived in Brussels a long time. This is how my companion 
came to know him. 

Belgian Soldier. 
k 1 Between Malines a.nd Antwerp at a village, the name of which I 

do not know, during the battle of Malines, I saw the Germans shoot 
down three women who were flying from the battle. Nearly all my 
company could corroborate this. The women were running towards 
the Belgian lines. The Germans were not then firing at the Belgians ; 
it was deliberate. 

Belgian Soldier. 
k 12 On the 21st September the Germans were retreating on Malines, 

between the villages of Waerloos and Duffel. We could see them at 
some three or four hundred metres distance. On the road lay the 
corpse of a woman still quite warm, the body pierced with a bayonet 
wound. I noticed that her face was also bleeding. On orders 
received, I a.nd three other men carried the body to the side of the 
road and left it there. I believe the woman had come back from the 
fields, for she still had in her hands the halters which are used for leading 
cows. There was no one else in the village. Perhaps she had come 
back to save her cattle. 

Belgian Soldier. 
k 13 On the 4th September 1914 1 was with 14 other men of my regiment 

about a mile and a half from the fort at Willebroeck. We were about 
300 metres in front of our trenches. We were walking between our 



221 

trenches and the main road. I saw a woman coming towards me frona 
the direction of Willebroeck. She Avas making for our trenches to 
escape from the Gsrmans, who were Hning the main road. I saw a 
German shoot at her. She fell. She was then about 400 metres from 
me. The German was about 75 metres from me and beyond the 
woman. I did not see the woman again. 

Belgian Soldier. 
I was, in the beginning of September, in the trenches at Breendonck. k 1* 
After a fight, I went with six men on a patrol and I saw a little child of 
about six tying dead on the roadside, killed by a bayonet, and close 
to him a woman dying with two rifle bullets in upper part of her leg. I 
helped to carry her to a Red Cross ambulance. She was dead on 
arrival. I and my companions carred the woman back behind the 
trenches ; all my company saw her. Afterwards, my company 
marched on the road and could see the child. 

Belgian Soldier. 

When the war broke out I was a sergeant in the Belgian army. One k^is 
day at the beginning of the month of September I was on duty between 
Liezele and Wolverthem near the farm •' de Vlemmere." My men 
and I were working on a telegraph post there. There were five men 
under me. While we were working we saA't' a man walking along the 
road, He was dressed like a peasant, but his beajd was a ring beard 
without any hair on the lips or the chin and it is very unusual to wear 
such a beard in Belgium. I accordingly stopped the man a,nd askecl 
him in Flemish what he was doing there. The man did not reply by 
speaking but made a noise with his lips. He had a parcel in his hands, 
I then told him in German to drop the parcel and stretch out his arms. 
I made my men search him and they found in one of his pockets a^ 
military pay-book which showed that he had received 15 marks. 
This pay-book was clearly that of a German .soldier. I then asked liii» 
what he had in the parcel. He did not reply and I told my men to 
open the parcel. They found in it a German infantry uniform, but 1 
do not remember what was the number of the regiment. We then- 
tied the man's hands behind his back. He asked us in German for 
water. I replied by asking him where he had got his peasant clothes- 
from. He refused to reply though he understood quite well a.s I spoke 
in German. I refused to give him water as he would not answer my 
questions. I could not leave my post and T accordingly put the man 
at my side with one of my men and he stayed there the whole day. I 
questioned him some 20 times during the day, but he never replied. 

Towards evening two Belgian gendarmes on horseback came to 
my post on their rounds and I told them about my prisoner and under 
their questions he began to tell his stor3^ He seemed very frightened 
at the gendarmes. He said he had had a meal at a butcher'^s shop 
near the farm " de Vlemmere " with two other Germans. The gen- 
darmes then took the prisoner to the butcher's shop, and some tihie 
afterwards they brought the prisoner back past my post. The gen- 
darmes and the prisoner stopped and the gendarmes, in the presence 
of the prisoner, told me that they had found the butcher's shop^ burnt 
down and had seen the dead body of a boy of 15 or 16 years old, the 
son of the owner of the house. The prisoner had admitted to the 
gendarmes that he and his two companions after they had had their 
meal had returned to the shop and that liis companion had killed the 
boy. They had cut his legs off and thrown him into the burning- 
house. The reason given by the prisoner for the killing of the boy 
was that the boy had told the Belgian soldiers that the prisoner and 
his companions had eaten in the butcher's shop. I do not believe thi.s 
story was true, as I heard subsequently that the 5th Division of the 



.222 

Belgian army was ambushed on the very next day after the e'vewts 
admitted by the prisoner. The prisoner nevet attempted *to deny 
the story as it was told by the gendarmes, but he cried for mercy, 
saying he had three childi'ren of hi^ own. I asked the gendarmes to 
look after my post for a little while and I bicycled to the butcher's 
house and saw that it had been burnt. I did not see the body of the 
hoj. When I came back I was in such a rage that I kicked the prisoner. 
The prisoner replied in French, "yon idiot." I had to keep my 
soldiers back from killing him. The gendarmes said that no one must 
touch the prisoner and that the military authorities would do their 
duty. 

About half an hour later we were reHeved at our post and I ran 
to the village where the gendarmes had taken the prisoner, the village 
of Puers. The people there were shouting out, " Kill him, kill him," 
and I shouted the same thing. The gendarmes took the prisoner 
to the municipal prison and I understand he was condemned to death. 
I was told afterwards by people in Puers that the prisoner was taken 
to Antwerp and that he was shot there. 

Belgian Volunteer of Independent Means. 
k 16 The 3rd October I was employed with two other volunteers on out- 

post duty near the fort of Puers. At the entrance of the village of 
Liezele, we entered a cottage half destroyed. In the bedroom we found 

: a woman dead. She had been given a violent blow on the head on 
the right top and temple. There Was a great deal of blood on her 
head, the sheets and from her nose. I thought she had been struck 
,down by the butt of a rifle. She appeared to have been in bed and 
partly dressed. By her side was a child, about seven weeks old, in 
a cradle also dead. Cigarette sttnnps were on the floor and two in 

, the cradle itself. On the child's face were a doiZen wounds at least 
which looked like burns, and some on the child's hand. I did not 
examine the woman or the child, but left them as I found them. I 
entered the cottage at about 5 p.m. The German ^rmy was perhaps 
two kilometreis olf . We were attacked that night by a German patrol. 
The child's face was horribly contracted as if froM pain. 

Belgian Soldiek. 
k 17 I Was serving, with my regiment near Antwerp in September. We 

were holding a -f/illage which the Germans had previously occupied. 
I do not know the name of the village. I went to fetch some water 
from a well. The Well was to the level of the water about 5 metres 
deep. I saw three or four bodies lying in the wells, 

Belgian Refugee. 
k 18 On a Sunday, I think it was the 16th August (before the happen- 

ing in Louvain) I Went to Tirlemont to visit my son who was fighting 
with the Belgian Army, and then went to see my brother-in-law at 
St, Trond. I there saw five Uhlans enter the town. In the tovvoi 
there were th^n 20 members of the Civil Guard, who wore uniforms 
and were armed, and four or five Belgian soldiers (Guides). They 
fiired on the Uhlans and three of them fell from their horses. The 
Belgian soldiers went to' piek up these three Uhlans— their two com- 
panions having fifed and joined their companions who came along the 
road. There were then 12 Uhlans (th®y all belonged to the Death's 
Head Hussars) and they all put up their hands, and when the Belgian 
soldiers and the Civil Guard went towards themi the Uhlans caught 
up. their carbines and deliberately shot at people in the streets, who 
had been looking on. I saw two civilians close by me shot in the leg ; 
and I was told that a third man who had been looking out of a window. 



I 



223 

and who was a civilian, was shot tiu"ongh the mouth. Just as the 
Uhlans started shooting a large number of other Uhlans, about 500 
in all, came along the road, and the Belgian soldiers and the Civil 
Guard retreated. The civilians were all unarmed, and were standing 
at the corner of the street. I afterwards saw the man who had been 
shot in the mouth at the hospital. He was then dead. Three persons 
were killed, namely, a postman shot tln-ough the back, a member of the 
Civil Guard shot through the shoulder, and the man referred to above. 

Afterwards the Uhlans captured 200 of the citizens and placed 
them in a farm. The burgomaster hoisted the white flag. The 
Germans then bmmed the houses in the town of St. Trond. 

I ran away from the town back to Malines and on the road from 
Sempst to Hofstade I saw three or four girls of about 13 or 14 years 
of age. The girls' clothes were in a filthy condition, and they told 
me that the Germans had run after them, and had thrown them into 
cesspools. Thej^ had been hiding from the Germans. As far as I 
know the Germans did not do anything else to the girls. 

t 

Belgian Soldiek. 

Between the taldng of Liege and Namur, round about the 15th k 19 
August, in the village of Linsmeau, near Tirlemont, I saw three dead 
ci\alians, a man and two children, one of them a boy of 14, the other 
a girl of 10. I saw their corpses in a cowshed in a farm, the name 
of which I do not know, but the Germans had burnt it as well as several 
houses. The civilians had not committed any acts of hostility against 
the Germans. The Germans shot these three civilians on purpose. 
It was not an accident. They shot about ten civilians in this jDarticular 
place, and they took away the whole of the male population to do 
work in connection with the war. 

On the 20th September the Germans burnt the church of a village 
near Capelle-au-Bois for pure amusement. They made a big fire in 
the centre of the church and underneath the belfry, 

Belgian Soldier. 

In August (about the 20th) close to Tirlemont I saw a civilian — k20 

an old man at least 60 — hanging from a tree by his feet with his head 
a foot from the ground. He was burnt ; there was an extinct fke 
under him. His hair was burnt off ; his body was badly bm-nt and 
the skin was all shrivelled. His left arm was cut into three pieces 
at the wrist, elbow and shoulder. The pieces were lying on the ground. 

I was on patrol with a corporal and two others ; the corporal was 
on ahead with one other, and I told him of it, when we caught them 
up, but we had to go on. 

On another occasion, at the beginning of September, I saw a civilian 
of about 40 years of age lying at the side of a house with his throat 
cut. There was no other wound. The Germans were then retreating, 
and we were waiting orders at the spot. This was at Sempst, in the 
province of Antwerp. 

Belgian Soldiee. 
BetAveen 26th and 27th August I was serving with my regiment k 21 
at Impe, near Londerzeel. Dinging the fighting which took place one 
of my comrades, who was a sergeant-major, whose name I do not 
know, was wounded in the arm, I saw him taken prisoner. The ifdllow- 
ing day, during an advance, we found the body of the sergeant-major 
above referred to lying on the ground with his head smashed in. I 
recognised him hj his hair and uniform. Between 17th and 18th 
September I was with my regiment at Ramsdonck, near Londerzeel. 
where we were entrenched near the German lines about 600 or 700 
metres away. I saw a woman and two children coming towards our 



224 

lines from the direction of the German lines. The two children were 
shot by a German patrol and the woman taken prisoner. One child 
was a boy of about 13 and the other a girl of about nine. I saw the 
bodies, 

British Soldier. 
& 22 About the 5th of October we had driven a party of Germans out 

of a small village about 9 miles north of Ypres. I do not know the 
name of the village, but it did not consist of more than 12 or 15 houses. 
We entered the village from the south, driving the Germans before 
us. When we got into the village we were ordered to search the 
houses. I went with five other men into a small farmhouse which 
was standing a little way back off the main road. The door was 
standing open and we went in. We were met by an elderly woman, 
who showed us over the house. Everything had been ransacked. 
We went into a bedroom upstairs. On the bed were the bodies of a 
middle-aged woman and a baby of about 12 months. They had had 
their throats cut and the bed was stained with blood. I saw no blood 
elsewhere in the room. The woman's dress was torn as though there 
had been a struggle. The elderly woman could not speak English 
and we were unable to find out why the two had been killed. She 
was very terrified and kept on sa3ang " Deutsch." 

British Soldier. 

k 23 About the 10th of October I was in the neighbourhood of Zonne- 

beke. I was with a patrol of 12 men under a corporal. We visited 
a farmhouse to get water for breakfast. The doors and windows were 
open. We shouted to see if there was anyone there. Getting no 
reply, we thought we would look round the outhouses. There were 
small stables and pig-stye. In the pig-stye were three or four pigs 
and the body of a man of about 50 years old. The stye door was in 
two parts. The lower part was locked, the upper part was not. We 
forced the lock and chain of the bottom part. Two of us went into 
the stye. I was one, and I do not know the name of the other. We 
found the body lying on its face ; we turned the body over and found 
seven or eight bayonet wounds in the stomach. It was lying in a pool 
of blood. We then went round the house and found a pool of blood 
in front of the front door. We went into the house — about six of us. 
The place had been ransacked. We went upstairs and in the room 
over the kitchen, we found the bodies of two girls of about six and 
eight years of age. They had both been shot through the head, and 
were lying together fully dressed on the bed. The bullet wounds were 
an the front of the upper parts of each head. While we were in the 
farm a staff officer came. He saw the body of the farmer and also 
the children. He told us to bury the farmer, which we did before 
we left. 

[This evidence has since been corroborated by that of another 
witness.] 

British Soldier. 

k 24 October 21st, at Frezenberg, Belgium, at about 6 a.m., I was with 

my troop, in which Trooper Dent, right section, 4th troop, B. squadron, 
was also. We had occasion to look into the kitchen of a detached 
cottage ; there we saw two girls, 7 and 9 years of age, and a civilian, 
all lying on the floor fully dressed. They were all dead. The floor 
where they lay was covered with blood. There were several wounds 
like bayonet wounds on the bodies of each of these, many of which 
had bled. The day before this there had been a fight between Pass- 
chaendaele and Moorslede in which my troop had been engaged. Our 
fighting had finished at Frezenberg the night before, and during the 
night there had been no fighting at this place. I am unable of my 



225 

own knowledge to say at what time prior to the morning of October 
21st any German troops had been at Frezenberg. I shonld think 
that the bodies which I saw had been dead for some time. I know 
that there were German troops all round that district on October 20th. 

British Soldier. 
I went out with the First Expeditionary Force. About October k 25 
23rd, 1914, mj^ company (C company) entered a village near Ypres. 
I went into a house by myself. In the kitchen on the ground floor 
I saw the dead bodies of four children, three boys and a girl, aged 
between seven and 12. I saw wounds on their heads and faces. 
One had a bullet wound in the forehead. On all the bodies there 
were bayonet wounds. I saw an officer, not of my regiment, in the 
room sitting writing at a table. I did not know his regiment and 
by his side were two French soldiers. As they had on dark blue 
costume I believe they were interpreters. 

British Soldier. 

In the early part of November, I should say about the 9th, I came k 26 
in with the Fv.A.M.C. to a village called Wytschaete. The B.A.M.C. 
had got separated from the Division the day before. I think it must 
have taken a \^Tong turning. About 5 a.m. we got into Wytschaete 
and we remained there till about 3 a.m. the following morning. The 
Uhlans had left the village only the night 'before our arrival. One 
of my chums, a man in the Corps, speaks French. I went Avith hjm 
into a house in the village while we were there in order to cook our 
*• maconochies." A woman and two children, a little boy and a 
little girl, quite small, were in the house. They belonged to it. The 
woman was about 35 years of age. She said her husband and a son 
had been killed in action. She said the Uhlans had been to her house, 
and had taken most of her possessions, including money, and had 
knocked her furniture about. She was also outraged, and they had 
thrown her and her children into the street. They drank all the 
wine in the house. She said that they had behaved similarly in 
other houses in the village. 

Two other women from the same block of houses came round while 
we were in the house. They said much the same as the other woman, 
and they said that practically every woman in the village had been 
raped. I cannot say whether they said if thej^ themselves had been 
outraged. 

Belgian Soldier. 

Whilst my regiment was on duty near Roulers, a country town in k 27 
W^est Flanders, early in October, I heard shooting, and, as one of a 
patrol, I went to see the cause of it. 

We came to a house and on the door was chalked up in German, 
a statement to the effect that a dog had been barking and that the 
dog had been shot and that the man who owned him had been killed 
too. 

I went to a w^ell (or tank) on the premises to get water and found 
in it the dead body of the man. 

He had recently been killed. There were no wounds and he had 
evidently been dro\ATied. 

The body was bound to a rod used for getting the water up, so 
he could not have fallen in accidentally. 

The house had been looted. 

English Refugee. 
On the ninth of September 1914 I was in the open country between k 2S 
Dunkirk and Middelkerke, and I there saw in an open ditch the dead 

H 



226 

bodies of four little children between three and four j^ears old. I 
examined these bodies, and found that they had all got large "wounds 
in front, which appeared to have been made by bayonets ; the wounds 
were not small ones such as might be made by bullets. There was 
also much blood upon and around the bodies. I do not know whose 
children they were. 

During the course of my wanderings I saw many bodies of mounted 
Uhlans. Some of these carried lances and some carried rifles with 
bayonets. I saw Uhlans quite close to the place where I found the 
children's bodies in the ditch. 

Belgian Soldier. 
k 29 I was marching from Antwerp to Louvain, and in the third village 

before arriving at Louvain I saw in a well the body of a man with 
the water up to his breast, and the head of a human being. The 
inhabitants said it was the wife of the man, but as the hair was com- 
pletely burnt oft the head I could not tell. All the houses were burnt 
and completely destroyed, only the walls resting. This was on the 
9th of September, I think, because I was wounded on the 12th about 
three days afterwards. At any rate it was about that time. About 
' two days after I. passed first and before I was wounded I passed by 
again. The inhabitants who had left, followed us back ; some of 
them told us tha,t they had taken the bodies of the owner and his 
wife from the well, and had found their two children underneath. I 
looked into the well and the bodies were no longer there — opposite 
was a fresh grave. Several of the inhabitants said they had buried 
them there. They had put a wooden cross made from wood from the 
house, half burnt. The whole face of the man had marks of burning. 
I could only tell from the place v/here the moustache had been being- 
black that it v/as a man. 

Belgian Soldier. 

tSO I was marching from Antwerp to Louvain with my company. I 

think at the beginning of Se23tember, I saw in a well the bodies of a 
man and a woman. Their heads were visible only a,nd they had 
no hair ; it had been burnt off. I should say he was a man of about 
40 or 45. It was clear that he w^as not bald from age ; one could see 
it had been burnt. Their heads were about four yards from me ; the 
w^ell had no covering. The house had been completely bm^nt down 
and the well was only two or three yards from the door, and all houses 
near had been burnt to the ground. It was the third viUage before 
arri^dng at Louvain from Antwerp. There were two between it and 
Louvain. I do not know that part of the country weU enough to 
remember the name of the village. Two days afterwards I passed the 
same place. I looked down the well and saw nothing. But the 
inhabitants told my comrades in Flemish that they had been taken 
out and underneath had been found the bodies of their two children, 
and all had been buried in a grave close hj in front of the house. I 
saw it. It was not there the first time we passed. I do not speak 
Flemish. 

Belgian Soldier. 

k 31 On or about the 12th September, while on the road to Louvain 

wdth my corarades I saw a well, and in it I saw the bodies of four 
persons. My officer asked us to try and take the civihans out of 
the well. I then assisted to get the bodies out of the well ; there 
were three men and one woman in the well ; and we then buried 
them. 

Belgian Soldier. 

k32 On September 25th last I arrived at Melle, near Ghent, with a 

cousin, at 7 p.m. I saw 40 houses on fire. The German soldiers had 



227 

left at 5 p.m. I went into a house on my arrival and saw the bodies 
of a boy and girl on the floor. I should think their ages were about 
14-17 years. There was a lot of blood on the floor. 

In another house I saw my wife's aunt. I saw three wounds on 
her right arm. She told me that she had escaped from her house to 
a hayrick that day. The Germans then shot at her. The hayrick 
was set on fire by the Germans. This compelled her to fly again, 
when the Germans shot at her again. She then managed to reach a 
cellar. This was done by some German stragglers after the main 
body had left. I saw her half an hour after it had occurred. She was 
also shot twice in leg. 

Belgian Soldier. 

Some time in October I was serving with my regiment at Melle, k 33 
■v\-hich is a village near Ghent. The Germans had occupied the village 
for a few hours. We drove them out and they afterwards retook it. 
They drove us out again and we retook it, and afterwards the Germans 
again retook the village. During the second period of our occupation 
I saw eight Germans surrounding a woman with a child about 1| years 
old in her arms. One of the Germans, who appeared to be drunk, 
stabbed the child with his bayonet. The woman had her hair loose 
defending her child, and others seized her by the hair and dragged 
her over the ground. A man who was standing by got hold of the 
child. We then captured the eight Germans. The man, woman 
and child had apparently been flying from the Germans. I did not 
see the man, woman and child again. I think the child was killed. 
■On the following day I saw on the road from Melle to Quatrecht, lying 
on the ground, one hand and two feet of a child about 7 or 8 years old, 
but saw no other part of the body, neither clothing nor corpse. I 
picked up the hand and feet and deposited them at the pohce station 
at Ghent. I was wounded in the leg, and have since been discharged 
definitely from the army as being unfit for further service. 

Belgian Refugee. 
I was living at Tournai when the Germans arrived at Tournai ^ 34 
for the first ^time before they left for Maubeuge ; it was the end 
of August or the beginning of September. I Avent to the house 
of my sister-in-law. The Germans had defeated the French and 
entered the town and entered all the houses ; they burnt 13, 
and took 500 or 600 men away with them. These men slept in the 
street that night guarded by soldiers and left the next at 3 p.m. for 
Mons. My brother-in-law was with them. I have never seen him 
again, and I do not know where he is. After the men had gone, about 
3 p.m., I was at an upper window with my sister-in-law. I saw women 
standing at the doors and people running down the street. The battle 
had ended about mid-clay, and for the rest of the time the Germans 
"were searching the houses and getting food from them. At 3 p.m. the 
road was full of women and cliilchen and soldiers (German). I saw a 
young girl about 19 years old r mining down the street with the others 
followed b}^ three or four German soldiers. They caught the girl 
and held her against a mounting-post at the corner of our street and 
a new street, the name I do not know. I do not know the number of 
my brother-in-law's house. It was just opposite the corner where the 
post was — only the breadth of the street between. Two soldiers held 
the girJ's arms, another tore her blouse and pulled off her petticoats 
and left her in her drawers — she seemed a girl of the poor classes. 
The soldier outraged her, and then stepped back and shot her dead. 
I saw this. The girl seemed half -dead before he shot her, A little 
time after I saw a soldier shoot dead a civihan about 45 years of age 
Avho was trying to succom' a womided French soldier who was lying 
in the* street. A little later I saw a boy of 13 who was lame trying to 



228 

escape, and a soldier shot him. I saw him and the girl and the mars 
buried next day with the French soldiers. ' 

We had a German officer billeted at my father's house in Chercq^ 
an environ of Tournai. I went there the next Tuesday and told the 
officer what I had seen done to the young girl. The officer said the 
Belgian soldiers had maltreated the Germans at Liege. He made no 
inquiries. The soldiers belonged to the Death's Head Uhlans, so did 
the officer. 

Belgian Refugee. 
k 35 On the 6th of August I went to see my sister who lives at Grces-op- 

Leeuxe.* In the street of this place I saw a young fellow whose 
Christian name was Francois ; I knew him before the war as he lives- 
close to my sister. Some German cavalry entered the village, and 
Frangois got frightened and tried to hide behind a house, but the 
Germans saw him and shot him. I saw this happen myself, I stood 
in the street with a number of others, Frangois had no weapon in his 
hand and he was a civilian. He was shot in ths side but not killed and 
he is still alive although paralysed. The Gtrnian cavalry \^ho f^hot 
Frangois Avere the first Germans to enter this part of Belgium. They 
had a small badge in their caps which looked to me like a death's head. 
It was quite small, about three-quarters of an inch broad. I was 
told by German soldiers afterwards that the men who wore the badge 
were prisoners from the gaols in Germany who had been let out when 
the war began. 

During the month of September I was in the house of a cousin of 
mine at Waremme. My cousin and his wife and three children were 
there. At about 8.30 p.m. on this day a drunken German soldier 
came into the house. He demanded some drink and we had not got 
any to give him. He then took out his rifle and showed us four 
cartridges. I saw him put one of these into his pocket. He then 
accused my cousin and his wife and me of having stolen one of his 
cartridges. We denied it, but he made us all stand in the room with our 
hands up and proceeded to threaten to shoot us. This went on for a 
full hour and we were in terror of our lives all the time. At last he left 
us alone and went out. The next morning I went and complained to 
one of the German officers and they took away the rifle from this 
soldier. There were others who complained of his doing the same 
thing to them. The soldier spoke " Plattdeutsch," which is very like 
Flemish and I could understand him. 

Belgian Refugee. 
k 36 At the commencement of the war I was working in Luxembourg 

with my nephew. I was in the employ of a contractor in the town of 
Luxembourg. The Germans occupied this to"wn and we were obliged 
to leave. I left and went to Arlon, in Belgium, which is close to 
the frontier. I started on the road to Bastogne, but was stopped by 
some German Uhlans and made to go in the direction of Neuf chateau. 
I slept one night at a gendarmerie about 20 kilometres from Neuf- 
chateau. The next morning I found a sergeant of the police (gen- 
darmes) and another gendarme who were motoring to Neuf chateau. 
They gave me a lift. This was on the 9th of August. At Neuf chateau 
I got a " sauf conduit " (free pass), which permitted me to go to Spa. 
I proceeded on my way to Spa on the 10th August, and when I had 
gone about half an hour from the inn on the road I met two German 
Uhlans. They demanded to know whether I had seen any French 
soldiers. I told them I had seen none, I then passed a whole column 
of the Uhlans, and I came upon some Belgian civilian prisoners in 
the hands of these troops. I saw a house on fire. In front of the house 
I saw a man lying on the ground whose two hands had been tied 

* ? Gors op Leeuw. 



229 

behind his back. When the flames came out of the front door of 
the house, two German soldiers seized the bound man and held his 
head and arms right into the flames. They held him there by the legs 
until they saw that he made no further movement and was dead, and 
then they took him out and pulled him to the side of the road. There 
was a German officer whose rank I did not know. This officer spoke 
French very well, and he said to the other Belgian prisoners and 
myself, " That is how we punish those who deceive us," The regiment 
that did this act was a regiment that had a device of a skull and cross- 
bones on their helmets. The helmets of the common soldiers were 
covered with a sort of grey linen, but you could see the device through 
the covering. The officers had no covering on their helmets, and the 
device was plainly there. 

I understood that the reason why this man was burnt was because 
he had refused to tell the Germans of any French soldiers he had seen, 
I onty suppose this was the reason as I have no knowledge of the 
matter myself. 

The soldiers did not hold the man into the flames all the- time ; 
they could not have done so as the flames were very strong. They 
shoved him in in the first instance and then pulled him out again, 

I do not know the names of any Belgian prisoners who saw this 
incident with me as I do not come from those parts, and these prisoners 
were refugees just as I was. There were about 16 or 17 prisoners 
who saw this incident. There were four or five women among them, 
and one of these women fainted. The man who was burnt cried out 
for mercy before they put him in the fire. He was certainly a civilian, 
because I saw his clothes. He was only burnt in the head and arms. 
I heard afterwards that the man was known by the nickname of " Le 
Flamand " (the Fleming), 

Belgian Soldier. 
About the middle of September we took a motor car belonging to k 37 
the German Red Cross which they were using for the purpose of 
reconnaissance. It contained rifles and bayonets, which I saw. In 
a little street near the railway station, on the left, in the com-t of a 
chateau we saw the chauffeur of a motor car who was dying in the 
street. We bm-ied him in the garden of the chateau. He had been 
killed by bayonet thrusts, the first of which had passed through his 
body. The Colonel was informed of all this. The Chateau had been 
abandoned by everybody, 

Belgian Soldier. 

At Thildonck, about 15 September, at the battle of Haecht I saw 
the body of a little girl of about seven or eight years of age killed in 
front of a house with her hands and her feet off, I think she had 
been killed the same day. The Germans had just vacated the village. 
The soldiers of my company saw it. 

The sister of a soldier came up to visit her brother when we were 
in the trenches at Wespelaer and said that she had been raped by 17 
Germans the same night. That was some days before. She was 
crying ; and was about 22 years of age. She fled towards Antwerp. 

I was a prisoner of the Germans in Liege ; I escaped with seven 
men of my company, I have kept a Campaign Diary in which I have 
written down this story, I understand German, We were illtreated 
and they spat in my face. They called me a pig " Schweinehund " : 
we were left without food, 

Belgian Lady. 
Before the war I lived in Louvain. In August I and my sister 
Anna left Louvain for my uncle's house at Nederbeukel.* I was born 

* ? Nederbuel. 



k3S 



mo 

in 1890, and my sister in 1882. The Germans made my uncle attend 
to their sick and wounded. Often private soldiers came to my uncle's 
house for drugs, and three or four times they took hold of me, and I had 
to run away to escape liberties which they attempted to take. 

On 6th October I and my sister and five girl cousins left for an 
aunt's house at Ypres. We started by tramway, but the line being 
cut, we had to continue oru? journey on foot. Whilst we were pro- 
ceeding through a wood we came across four German soldiers and 
one of them (a private) tried to forcibly seize my sister, but she re- 
sisted, and an officer happening to come on the scene, the private 
desisted and we got safely away. I explained to the officer that my 
uncle had been attending to their wounded, and after verifying this 
by reference to his note -book, we were allowed to proceed on our 
journey. Before the officer came up, the four soldiers had taken from 
us all our money and jewels. 

Dming the continuance of our journey we came across a pool in the 
wood, and were going to drink from it, but found it full of dead bodies 
-which had apparently been burnt. They were a,ll civihans, men, 
"vvomen and children. A private soldier came up and lifted oiTt of the 
]Oond, on the point of his bayonet, the corpse of child, exhibiting it with 
a laiigh. At the same time another private soldier produced with 
pride to us from his haversack the breast of a woman which had 
recently been Cut off. It was the entire breast and not merely the 
nipple. 

Belgian Soldier. 
k40 On August 6th I arrived at Houzet.* The Germans were just 

leaving. I saw German tJhlans leave a house in which I saw a young- 
man and his sister both dead, their clothes disarranged. The man 
had both ears cut off, both eyes put out, and three bayonet wounds 
in his chest. The sister had wounds in the chest and the abdomen. 
The wounds were about two inches wide. Shortly after I saw their 
bodies, French Dragoons entered the village. 

Belgian R-eeugee. 
k 41 I was asked by a traveller for a firm of timber merchants if I would 

take a letter for him to Brussels. I took the letter and delivered it ; 
I travelled by Ghent and reached Brussels on September 8th. I went 
by train and at Lokeren the bridge was blown up, so I had to walk to 
Ghent, which I reached at 9 on the evening of the 6th September, and 
being a stranger I went to the police office and stayed there the night. 
On the 7th I left for Brussels and at Grammont I inquired the way by 
Mvose,t and was advised to go a different way by a Belgian farmer, 
an old man ; I went that way and in about 20 minutes I came upon a 
German outpost — two young soldiers leaning against a tree. They 
cjuestioned me and appeared satisfied and called an officer. The officer 
asked me, on hearing I had come from Antwerp, how many Germans 
there were in Antwerp. I told him repeatedly there were none. 
Another officer came. They made me stand to attention and questioned 
me and showed a map. The first officer, a very tall man, said there 
were three forts of Antwerp taken by Germans, pointing them out 
on the map. I said there were none. He struck me a very violent 
blow on the side of the face and then asked, " Now how many are there 
taken." I said, " None at all." He struck me again very hard. I 
repeated, " None at all." He kept asldng me, " Now how many are 
taken," and I always rephed, " None at all, not one," and after each 
answer he struck my face first with one hand, then with the other until 
my face was swollen and painful, so that for a fortnight it hm^t me 
to eat and my mouth and face were streaming with blood. The 
* ? t ? Nivelles. 



231 

shorter officer then kicked me out of the room into a trench. They 
asked me if I wanted food. I refused it ; they referred to it as " grub." 
A German soldier digging the trenches said, " You are a fine fellow," 
and seemed sorry for me. He gave me a piece of bread and advised 
me to go away. I said it was night and I could not, and the officer 
said he would give me a nice place to stay the night and pushed me 
into a stable where a pig had just been killed — the place was horrible. 
In the morning I Avas advised to go away, but I refused to leave with- 
out a paper to pass saying it was my first meeting with German soldiers 
and I would not trust myself again without a paper. 

I was given a small piece of paper and I used it to get to Brussels 
and dehvered my letter, and subsequently I got to a place where the 
Belgians were. 

The officers were not wearing anything on their heads but the 
soldiers were wearing round caps with two buttons on. 

Belgian Refuciee. 

On or about the 23rd September I was on the road to Harlebeke, k 42 
and I saw some German soldiers (I do not know the regiment) set fire 
to four houses which were in a row, and the occupants of the houses 
fled from them, and one of them, a man, was shot in the arm. He was 
unarmed. I afterwards assisted to t^ke this man to a farmhouse 
near by. My mistress, who was with her mother, also saw this, as 
they were on the road at the same time. 

A little fiu-ther on the same road there was a farmhouse (which 
was notorious because a child had been violated there before the war 
had broken out), and I saw some German soldiers take two young 
men about 20 and 16, and a girl about 12 years old, out of the house. I 
was in the road about 60 yards away from the farmhouse, which lay back 
from the road. I saw the soldiers shoot at the two boys. Both* of the 
boys were shot, and a bullet entered the right arm of the j^ounger one, 
traversed liis body, and came out through his left arm. The elder 
boy was killed instantaneously by a bullet wound in the heart. The 
Germans then set the house on fire. I did not see them do anything to 
the girl. The soldiers made a great noise, and shouted hke wild 
animals. There were about 300 soldiers belonging to some cavalry 
regiment ; they afterwards rushed from the place at a great pace. 
I heard no reason given by anyone why these tv/o persons were shot. 

Along the road from Deerlyck to Harlebeke I saw four farms 
burned. On the road to Ghent, near the Grand Place, I saw a heap 
of dead civihans who had been shot apparently with rifles, as no heavy 
guns had passed that way. Some of them had also been struck with 
the butt ends of rifles. 



FRANCE. 

British Soldier. 
In September last I was with my regiment near the River Meuse. 1 1 

Our artillery drove the German troops out of a village on the further 
side of the Meuse and we captured the village. In a yard or garden 
in front of one of the houses I saw the dead bodies of two women, 
one 40 to 50 and the other about 20. Their clothes were up above 
their heads and the lower parts of their bodies, from the waist down, 
exposed to view. There were no wounds on either body and it 
appeared plain to me that the women had died as the result of violent 
ravishment by the Germans who had Just left th.e place. They had 
been very recently killed. We took a large number (some 400) 



232 

German prisoners just beyond this village, and most of them were in^ a 
drunken and stupefied condition. 

British Non-commissioned Officer. 
1 2 I was, with my battalion, advance guard to the 5th Division 

marching through a village named Peazie on our way to Soissons on 
September 9th. We reached the village about 5.30 a.m. 

We were searching the houses for German stragglers. The first 
house in the village I entered with a section was a farmhouse, it seemed 
to belong to a well-to-do man. We found in it the corpses of a man 
45-50, dressed as a farmer, the woman of about 40, and two girls, one 
aged 18 and one 13 and a boy about 8. They were all lying in the 
kitchen shot, and all fell against the same wall — hay and straw was 
scattered over the floors — some German writing was on the gate. Two 
old men and a woman stated to us through the interpreter (a French 
soldier attached to us) that they had been shot as an example if anyone 
else showed any resistance in refusing to give supplies. 

The people suggested the family were shot because the farmer 
refused to give up his flour. They told us the dead were all one family, 
and the whole family. We saw no weapons in the house. I did not 
report this — as other troops had been in before. I suppose cavalry 
scouts. Before I left, a sentry was posted. I have a note referring to 
this in my diary made at the time. Diary is produced. 

British Non-commissioned Officer. 
1 3 Diiring the retirement of the Germans after the Marne about the 

16th or 17th of September I was on patrol duty in charge of five privates. 
We took patrol duty in rotation and I cannot remember the names 
of those under me on each occasion. We took it every four days. I 
cannot remember the names of any places, we were not told them and 
always moved in the dark. We were searching a village for a patrol 
of Uhlans at 3.30 p.m. — a small village of about 50 houses — we found 
them in a house ; about 10 got outside, but we did not let them get to 
their horses and we killed them all. On the ground floor in the front 
room — it was a house of about six rooms — there were ten Uhlans who 
immediately lout up their hands, and we took them prisoners. I sent 
them outside in charge of my men. I searched the house ; everything 
was in disorder. On the floor in the corner near the fireplace I saw 
two women and two children, the ages of the former apparently about 
30 and 25. One was dead, the one I judged to be the elder. Her 
left arm had been cut off just below the elbow. The floor was covered 
with blood ; I think she had bled to death ; I felt her other pulse at 
once. I have been trained as a hospital attendant before I went into the 
reserve. She was quite dead, but not yet quite cold. Her clothing was 
disarranged, but may have been because she was rolling about in pain. 
The house had farm buildings attached to it, so I presume they were 
of the farmer class. I did not examine her for any other wounds, as I 
was satisfied she had died of haemorrhage. The younger woman was 
just alive but quite unconscious. Her right leg had been cut off 
above the knee. As she was on the point of death I could not summon 
assistance quickly enough to stop the bleeding even ; I was sme she 
was beyond assistance then. There were two little children, a boy 
about 4 or 5, and a girl of about 6 or 7. The boy's left hand was cut 
off at the wrist and the girl's right hand at the same place. They were 
both quite dead and appeared to have died of hsemorrhage too. They 
were quite cold ; I suppose because if it was done at the same time 
they would die quicker. I tried to question the prisoners, but they 
either did not or pretended they did not understand. I marched them 
back and handed them over to the guard. I immediately reported the 
occurrence to Major F . . ., my platoon leader. He was killed some 



233 

time afterwards at the Aisne. I saw several women and children 
lying dead in various other places, but in these latter instances I canr ot 
say that they Avere not accidentally caused in legitimate fighting, because 
I did not examine them. 

When I took the Uhlans as prisoners and disarmed them, I 
examined their sabres ; some of them showed marks of having been 
recently used, and had fresh blood on them. I do not think that any 
French or British soldiers could possibly have been in contact with them 
during that day, and that this blood must have been that of the women. 

British Sergeant. 
I was at the battle of Mons and all through the retreat. When we 4 

had begun to advance again — I should say about a fortnight after our 
advance had begun — we passed through Brumetz * and we came to a 
village about 2 p.m. We halted at the village. The Germans were 
holding the village against us. We captured about 100 and drove 
the remainder out. My troop halted outside a bakery just inside the 
village. It was a private house where baking was done — not like our 
bakeries here. There were some women — about two or three — 
standing at the door. The women motioned us to come into the 
house as also three civilian Frenchmen who were there. They took 
us into a garden at the back of the house. At the end of the garden 
was the bakery. We saw two old men — between 60 and 70 years — 
and one old woman lying close to each other in the garden. All three 
had the scalps cut right through and the brains were hanging out. 
They were still bleeding. Apparently they had only just been killed. 
The three French civilians belonged to this same house. One of them 
si^oke a few words of English. He gave us to understand that these 
three had been killed by the Germans because they had refused to 
bake bread for them. 

Belgian Refugee. 
When the war between France and Germany broke out I was 1 5 

living with my wife and my little boy M . . ., at St. Just. My son 
M . . . is between three and four years old. 

On the 5th of September 1914 the German soldiers were in St. 
Just. I was in my house on this day, but my wife had gone out for 
a short time. Just as she entered the door of my house again she 
was shot by some German cavalry and killed on the spot. I do not 
know the name or number of the regiment. I saw my wife shot 
myself. I know of no provocation that she gave the soldiers. 

The cavalry regiment, one of the soldiers of which had shot my 
wife, passed on, but made me and my child M ... go with them. 
We walked on with this regiment until we got in touch with the 
French troops. I was then made to dig trenches for the German 
regiment. •* 

After I had been working at the trenches for about half a day 
some of the officers of the regiment took away my boy M . . . When 
they took him away he had not been injured in any way. My boy 
has a deformity in the shape of two thumbs on his left hand. 

The officers brought back my boy after about two hours and told 
me that he now had something to remember the Germans by. T then 
found that they had burnt the end of his nose and had burnt one of 
the two thumbs on his left hand. My boy told me the soldiers had done 
this with their cigars. The burning of his nose was not very serious 
though the scar can still be seen, but the burning of his hand was 
very bad — almost to the bone — and his hand is still in a bad state 
and has to be bandaged and dressed constantly. 

[The nurse attending this child in England was questioned by 
the examiner and stated that the child's injuries were consistent 
with the statement of the witness.] 

* Beaumetz, ?.E. of Arras. 



234 

British Officer 
1 6 At the beginning of November I was at La Gorgue, Lieutenant 

S . . . told me that there were four women who were hving in a 
house in La Gorgue. He pointed out the house. I saw four women 
at that house sitting in the doorway. I saw that some of them were 
bandaged up. I was told by Lieutenant S . . . that their left hands 
had been cut off by the Germans. 

About October the 17th we were advancing towards Lorgies. In 
a small farm about five miles from Lorgies we saw a woman and a girl. 
The woman had been shot in the stomach and was dead and I under- 
stood that the girl had been raped by a large number of Germans. 
She was beside herself. We put up for the night at this farm and a 
number of us were there. 

British Officer. 
1 7 We were at La Ferte-sotis-Jouarre about the 7th September. 

It was during the battle of the Marne. Both the Germans and we 
were in the town. I went into a house in one of the streets to get 
a view over the river. In one of the upstair bedrooms lying on a bed 
I saw the body of a v/oraan — she was about 45 years of age. Her 
throat was cut. The whole of the chest was covered in blood. The 
blood was not quite dry. We had thrown the Germans back from 
that part of the town a few hours previously. The house had been 
ransacked. I was alone. 

SxrPEEmTENDENT OF COAL MiNE. 

1 8 I was coming back from Lille. I met all the inhabitants of Orchies. 

They were running away shouting that the Germans were firing the 
village. I went there and found that it was true. Some French 
soldiers had concealed themselves pretty well all round the village, 
and killed 100 or 120 Germans. The Germans accused the inhabitants 
of having put them up in their houses (which was not true), and of 
not having told the Germans that they were there (which was true), 
and so they burnt the village. They sent six men into the village 
about two o'clock in the afternoon to burn it. The battle had finished 
at half-past 11 in the morning, and there had been no French soldiers 
there since half -past 12. 

Belgian Refugee. 
1 9 In a little village called Ronchin, about half an hour from my 

home, there had been an engagement between the French and German 
troops, and as I was passing there with my brother I saw a house 
^ in which all the windows had been broken. I went into this house 
on the invitation of the servant, and there sav/ the dead body of an 
elderly man lying on the bed with his head smashed. I was told 
that this had been done by a German soldier with the butt end of a 
rifle. On the floor of the same room was the dead body of a woman, 
whose head was severed from her body. The bdcly, which I saw, 
was v/rapped in a blanket. I also saw some brains lying on the floor. 
The servant told me that the dead persons were husband and wife, 
and that the Germans had given no reason for killing them. I did 
not obtain the names of these persons. I could not s&j how the 
woman had been killed. 

In the same street of this village I went into a pubhc-house, and 
there saw a man sitting at a table on which were four pieces of bread 
and butter. This man had been killed by a bayonet thrust in the 
chest. 

In a deaf and dumb hospital near Lille I saw two men who were 
patients of the hospital. One of the men had been shot by a " dum 



^35 

dum " bullet. The shot had struck his leg and his trousers were 
torn, and the flesh of the leg was torn in shreds. The second man 
had been killed with an ordinary bullet, which had entered his heart. 
I was informed that some German soldiers were at the station at 
Lille, and that thej^ had shot these two men as they were passing 
along the Pont Neuf near the station. I was told that the man who 
had been shot through the heart had been lifted up by some civilians, 
and that his mouth was full of blood. This man's clothes were not torn. 

French Refugee. 

On the 23rd August a few Germans passed my house in the evening. 1 10 
There had been a small engagement earlier in the day between French 
and German troops near the village. 

Two German soldiers then took hold of a young civilian named 
D . . ., and bound his hands behind his back, and struck him in the 
face with their fists. They then tied his hands in front, and fastened 
the cord to the tail of a horse. The horse dragged him for about 
50 yards, a.nd then the Germans loosened his hands and left him. 
I went out of my house with my father and took this man into the 
house. The whole of his face was cut and torn, and his arms and 
legs were bruised. He had given no provocation. 

French Eefugee (Boy). 

My father's house was a public house, and some French soldiers 1 11 
stopped there on a day in September, but I do not know the date, 
and barricaded it. I afterwards heard some shots and then saw a 
patrol of Uhlans. I went out in the street a little later with a French 
sergeant, and I then saw the German soldiers firing at a woman aged 
about 3G, who had a babj^ in her arms and who lived in the same 
street. I saw the woman fall. I then fled with the other civilians, 
and came back to the village two days later. I then saw the corps© 
of the woman whom I had seen shot doAvn two days previously. She 
had been taken to the house of a man named W . . . I do not 
know what happened to the baby. 

The civilians were then ordered by the French soldiers to leave 
the village as a bombardment was about to take place. 

Belgian Refugee. 

About three or four weeks after the war began I was made prisoner 1 12 
by some German soldiers, infantrymen, but I do not know the name 
of the regiment. I was accused of being a spy, which was quite 
untru.e. I was taken by the Germans to Lou vain, Brussels, Mons, 
St. Amand, and Valenciennes, and at the last-named place I wa& 
released, after having been a prisoner for nine or ten days. On three 
of those days I had neither food nor drink, and was not even allowed 
to sleep. When I tried to sleep the Germans flashed an electric light 
in front of my eyes, and also kicked me. There were about 20 
civilians, who were also prisoners with me, and we were all treated 
in the same way. I was also obliged to carry the kits of the soldiers, 
but not theiT- rifles. 

When between St. Amand and Valenciennes, in a part of the 
country which I do not know at all, the Germans set fire to a castle 
belonging to a baron (whose name I do not know). Before setting 
fire to the castle, they stole everything portable. After setting fire 
to the castle, the soldiers placed the baron, along Avith 20 other 
ci\ahans who lived near by, consisting of young and old men, and 
also some women and even children, and shot tbem all. This was 
done in my presence, and in the presence of a large number of other 
civilians. I heard a German officer who was present order his men 
to place the civilians against the wall, and shoot them. The civilians 



236 

begged for grace, and the officer said, in German, " There's no mercy 
for you ; you have got to die. You must not laugh at the German 
Army." No other reason was given for the killing of these civilians. 

After these persons were shot the Germans used a sort of stick, or 
something which contained some explosive, and placed it against the 
bodies, and at once there was an explosion, and the bodies were burned. 

I was ihen made to walk to Valenciennes, and had to carry the 
kits of some of the soldiers. The soldiers smashed the windows of 
every house on the wa^^ They stopped at each public-house on 
I he way, broke open the doors with the butt ends of their rifles, and 
then went inside. 

I saw three workmen's cottages, near the castle of the baron, 
and five or six other houses further on the road to Valenciennes, 
burned by the Germans. They first shot at the houses, and the 
occupants fled ; and then the Germans fired the houses. I do not 
know what happened to the occupants of the houses. 

I arrived at Valenciennes, and on the same day was released. 

While on the way from Brussels to Mons I was chosen by one of 
the German officers to go with two German soldiers to the farmhouses, 
and obtain cattle for the use of the troops. As payment for the cattle, 
the Germans gave the farmers a small piece of " paper," stating that 
the amount due was payable after the war. 

At Braine-le-Comte, Soignies, and other places, I saw numbers 
of houses which had been burned. I saw the Germans turn out a 
man and his family from one of the houses, and they then stayed the 
night in it themselves, whilst the occupants had to sleep in the road. 

In some of the villages through which I passed some of the German 
cavalry soldiers went on in front of the other troops and ordered the 
villagers to place pails of water in the road for the use of the troo^as 
who were following, but the troops were not allowed to stop and 
driuk the water, and had to take a little in their hands and drink it 
as they walked along. 

The animals v/hich were commandeered from the farms were killed, 
and the flesh was taken away by the Germans, who left the skins and 
the animals' organs lying in the road. 

While I was a prisoner my shoes and socks were taken from me, 
and I was compelled to walk barefooted along the roads. There were 
large numbers of soldiers, both infantrj^ and cavahy, with me during 
the whole of the time. 

After being released I went back to St. Amand, and there saw that 
large numbers of the houses had been burned, and the doors and 
windows of others smashed. I then went to Tournai, and afterwards 
to Ostend, and then came to England. 

British Soldiee. 

] 13 On 24th August I was on outpost duty at a village close to Har- 

mignies.* I was then a lance-corporal. We saw four Germans beat- 
ing a woman tied to a tree, stripped to the waist. The Germans were 
infantrymen, I think, belonging to the 75th Regiment, they were 
fully equipped and wearing helmets. The woman had four marks 
across her back bleeding. We were 100 yards away when we first 
saw them and close to a wood from which we came ; we fired shots, 
killed three, and one escaped. I cut the woman down, she fainted ; 
we took her to a house in the village mentioned above and put her 
in the charge of some French soldiers. This was early in the morning 
about 7 o'clock. 

Beitish Soldiee. 

1 14 I was with my regiment on the retreat from Mons and in the course 

of the retreat I was sent to a farm to get butter. 

* This is in Belgium close to the French frontier, and it is impossible to say whether 
the incident referred to occurred in France or Belsium. 



237 

The people at the farm at first refused to come out, but after a 
time an old man and woman, about 70 years old, came to me and the 
man showed me weals all over his body which he explained had been 
■caused by German soldiers who had asked for liquors of which he had 
none to give them. 

He said the old woman (his wife) had been treated in the same way. 

He explained this to me partly by signs. 

They thought at first we were going to ill-treat them and that 
was why they did not come out. 

British Soldier. 
Some time in October (about 22nd, I think), the East Surreys were 1 15 
attacking a position near Richebourg St. Vaast, near La Bassee. In 
the advance we came across five to seven women, lying in the open fields 
■for the most part, one in a ditch, and one between two haystacks. 
All had their hands tightly tied behind their backs. We at first took 
them for dead. One was taken to our battalion headquarters after- 
wards. She remained five days. She was delirious all the time, and 
took us for Germans. We never got any explanation during that 
time. Afterwards we had to advance and left her behind. We saw 
lier portrait on the wall of one of the houses. The other regiments 
■picked up the other women. 

British Non-commissioned Officer. 

The night after the German retreat from the Marne, the 8th Brigade, 1 16 
to which we belonged, took a village on the N.E. bank of the river, 
at the point of the bayonet between 7 and 8 p.m. The Germans had 
by this time gone clean away over the hills. I was in the leading 
rank and one of the first over the bridge. A woman ran out of a 
bouse to our right, directly she saw us. She was French, but knew 
^ word or two of English. She said, simply, " My daughter." She 
seemed very agitated and excited. She pointed at the house. There 
were no officers close by at that moment. Three of us went over — - 
one has been killed since — we saw the daughter lying in bed down- 
stairs. The mother followed us in and gave us to understand that 
.seven Germans had violated the daughter during the night. She 
explained this by holding up all the fingers of one hand and two of 
"the other and pointing to the bed and saying " Allemands." She 
said " night," and I took it that it happened the night before. For 
all I know it may have been continuous as the Germans had been 
there some time. She looked to be 19 or 20. We remained in the 
village all night, but left the house immediately to rejoin, as the roll 
was being called outside. The other man was a reservist and I cannot 
Jem ember the name. 

British Soldier. 

"On 12th August 1914, our battahon left Bordon Camp, Hants, 1 17 
and embarked at midnight the same day at Southampton. We dis- 
embarked the following day at Ls Havre. We proceeded to march 
at once in the direction of Paris. We marched between 20 and 30 
aniles a day. When within about 10 miles from Paris we turned to 
the left, leaving Paris on our right. We marched to Laon, where we 
iortified a big house ; that was Saturday night — about a fortnight 
after we left Le Havre. It might have been Saturday, 29th August. 
>0n Sundaj' we were digging trenches. On our left flank there was 
:a great artiller}^ duel between the Ge/rmans and the English, and the 
villages were all on fire. About midday on Monday we saw five 
•German mounted scouts on the sky line — 580 yards in front of our 
trenches. We killed three of them and two got away with information 
that we were there. This was the first we saw of the Germans. Then 
they started shelling us. Our captain said it was getting a bit too 
warm, so we retired. Then they shelled the trenches for four hours 



238 

and then charged them and found no one there. This was durfng 
the Mons retreat — but we never got so far north as Mons. I remember 
we put up for that night at Chailvet. I also remember we retreated 
further to Braisne. I should say it was somewhere along the line of 
this retreat we marched through a village with a very wide street. 
It was just an ordinary street. There was nothing else to distinguish 
it. The Uhlans must have been through it. We saw women and 
children lying dead. There were about 10 women and six or seven 
little children. One or two of the bodies of the women had no heads. 
The children had not been cut up. They were just lying dead in 
different places, some by the side of the women. It was a terrible 
sight which I shall not forget. I was with my platoon all the time. 
I remember we said to one another we would like to stick the Germans 
with the bayonet. They were frightened of the bayonet and used to 
run away. We had not charged them with the bayonet up to that 
time. We were told that by the Hussars. That village had not 
been burnt down. There v/ere bottles all about the street and the 
people that were left were turning out of their houses as quickly as 
they could. The women a.nd the little children were crying. They 
were saying something which we could not understand. Windows 
were smashed and doors were broken open. We marched right 
through this village. I do not think we halted there— but I cannot 
remember. There was nothing further than what I have stated to 
show that the Germans had been there. We continued to march to 
Braisne. About two or three nights after marching through the 
village where we sa,w the dead women and children, we were in a farm 
house where we v/ere going to sleep for the night. I cannot remember- 
the name of the place. 

British Soldier. 

1 18 One day at the beginning of September on the retreat from Mons 
we passed through a small village. There was a bridge and waterfalls 
just before we got into the village. I do not know the name of the 
village. The regiment halted for about 10 minutes and I went intO' 
a kind of back place which we used as a latrine. It was a sort of 
yard behind houses and was filled with rubbish. On the ground were 
two boys' bodies. One was about 8 and the other would be 5 or 6. 
The bodies were lying together. The hands had been cut off both 
bodies. The stumps were torn and the blood was black. It was in 
the afternoon that I" saw them. It was not yet dusk. The hands, 
were not lying near. There was blood on the ground near where each: 
stump had been lying. I did not touch the bodies nor examine theiit 
to see if there were other wounds. In the yard about four feet away 
from the other bodies was the body of a girl of about 10 years old. 
She had a jagged wound in the stomach. It looked like a bayonet 
wound. She was fully dressed. There was a lot of blood by the girl's 
body. This blood was dry and black. Her clothes were saturated 
in blood. 

British Soldier. 

1 19 About the 16th of October I was with the regiment in the trenchesv 
before we got to Laventie. We reheved an Alpine Regiment and the- 
next morning advanced from our trenches and drove the Germans 
back ; they had been holding a farm just behind their front line oS 
trenches. When we got to the farm we saw a woman tied with a rope 
to a tree : she was nearly unconscious and could not speak ; the 
upper part of her dress was torn and in disorder — she was between 
40 ard 50 years of age. On her neck and shoulders were bad bruises, 
as if she had been used with great violence ; I do not mean blows. 
The woman was taken by one of our men to a farmhouse in the rear 
which was used as a brigade hospital as soon as the field hospital 
came up. 



APPENDIX B. 

All the diaries and papers which appear in the Appendix in German 
and English were submitted to the Committee by the Prisoners of 
War Information Biu:eau. In some eases they were taken from 
German corpses ; in others from German prisoners of war. Some 
of the writers had not been identiiied at the time when the documents 
passed into the possession of the Committee ; in these cases the 
diaries were distinguished by a number, and we have preserved this 
number for the purposes of the Appendix, although, in some cases, the 
identity of the writer has since transpired, as will be seen by a reference 
to the text. 

The Committee inspected the actual documents and were absolutely 
satisfied of their authenticity. See page 4 of the Report. Photo- 
graphs of some pages from the diaries will be found at pages 289-21)6. 
The extracts from a diary of a Saxon officer, which are printed last, 
were forwarded to the Committee by Professor Morgan. The diary 
from which they v/ere taken is in the hands of the French Authorities 
and has not been seen by the Committee. 

Oberja&ee. Afeeldt. 
Translation. 

Machine Gun Company of the Guards Rifle Battalion, Berlin, 
Lichterfelcle : Ville-du-Bois, 7th Aug. 1914. Live "in a fine country 
house. Beds, Good cheap wine. On the 10th August crossed the 
Belgian border at 9 o'clock in the morning. Village Bastogne, mid- 
day. Very great plunderings. 12th Aug. 1914. — Marche. This is 
rather a small town. It was not well disposed. Burgomaster was 
at once arrested. 

Original. 

Maschinen-Gew. Komp., Garde-Schiitzen-Batl., Berlin — Lichter- 
felde. 7. August, 1914, Ville-du-Bois : — Wohnung in feinem Schloss, 
Betten, guter, billiger Wein. 

10. August. Um 9 Uhr die belgische Grenze iiberschritten 
, . . Mittags im Dorfe Bastogne angelangt . . . Sehr grosse 
Pliindereien. 

12. August. Um 4 Uhr in Marche angekommen. Es ist eine 
kleinere Stadt. Dieselbe war nicht gut gesonnen. Der Biirgermeister 
wurde gleich verhaftet. 

EiTBL Anders. 
Translation. 

[It appears that there is no name in this diary. We give the name See Plates 
as supplied by the War Office, ivho evidently obtained the name from a 1 to 4 at 
field postcard, which ice have not seen, as per letter from G.S.O. on back PP- ^^^' ^^' 
of the diary. No description.] We crossed the Belgian frontier on 
the 15th August 1914 at 11.59 in the forenoon, and then v.^e went 
steadily along the main road until we got into Belgium. Hardly were 
we there when we had a horrible sight. Houses were burnt down — - 
the inhabitants chased away and some of them shot. Not one of 
the hundreds of houses was spared. Everything was plundered a,nd 
burnt. Hardly had we passed tln-ough this large village before the 
aiext village was burnt, and so it went on continuously. Even the 

239 



240 

mayor and priests were shot down immediately because they shot at 
our comrades who were sentries at night when we were asleep. The 
blackguards have simply crept into the church and crawled right up 
to the steeple and have fired down from there, so we have immediately 
set the whole church on fire. The whole rabble which was in it was 
shot, and hardly was this finished when there was shooting from the 
next house, where the dogs had simply put up a white flag with a reel 
cross. This also was immediately smasheel up and burnt down, and 
so it went on continuously. On the 16th August 1914 the large village 
of Barchon was burnt down. On the san.e day we crossed the bridge 
over the Maas [Meuse] at 11.50 in the morning. We then arrived at 
the town of Wandre. Here the houses were spared, but everything 
was examined. At last we went out of the town, and everything went 
to ruins. In one house a whole collection of weapons was found. 
The inhabitants without exception (Samt-und-sonders) were brought 
out and shot. This shooting was heart-breaking, as they all knelt 
clown and prayed, but that was no ground for mercy. A few shots 
rang out and thej^ fell back into the green grass and slept for ever. 
In spite of this, the robber rabble did not cease shooting us down 
from behind — never from in front, but now it got too much for patience, 
and furious and roaring we proceeded further and further, and every- 
thing that got in our road was smashed and burnt and shot. At last 
we have had to go into bivouac ; half tired and worn out we settled 
down. Then we quickly satisfied our thirst a little, but we only drank 
Tv'ine. The water has been half poisoned and half left alone by the 
beasts. Well, to eat and to drink, we have much too much here. 
Wherever we espy a pig or a fowl or a duck or even pigeons, everything; 
was shot down and killed, so that at least we had something to eat.. 
It is real sport. Now we are lying 15 kilometres from the enemy. 
I believe either to-day or to-morrow we shall have a big and decisive 
battle. And yet it won't come off, because the Belgians run like mad 
when they see our machine guns. The blackguards [i.e., the Belgian 
soldiers] simply lie down, throw the weapons away, and with uplifted 
hands approach us, and are taken prisoners or partly shot and pushed 
back. 

In happy mood and high spirits, we passed through the aforesaid 
village (Tatur-a-ges) the next morning, that is to say, on the 24th of 
August, before we had cleared up the suburb of the toAvn of Mons and 
burnt the houses. Inhabitants came out of the houses in crowds into 
the open plain. Here many heart-breaking scenes occurred, it was 
really terrible to watch. 

Original. 

15.8.14. — Vorm. 11.50 die Belgische Grenze tieberschritten imel 
nun gings immer die Hauptchaussee entlang bis wir in Belgien herein- 
kamen, kaum waren wir dort drin da bot uns ein schauriger i^nblick 
entgegen, Hauser wurden niedergebrandt, die Einwohner fortgejagt 
und zupi teil erschossen : es blieb von den ganzen Hunderten Hauser 
kein einziges verschont, alles wurde ausgeraubert und nieelergebrandt, 
Jjaum waren wir durch dieses grosse Dorf hindurch, dann wurde auch 
schon das nachste Dorf angesteckt und so gings immer weiter, sogar 
wurde der Biirgermeister und die Pastoren sofort erschossen well die 
uns auf xmsere Kameraden des Nachts wo wir schliefen die als Posten 
stehen sollten geschossen. Die Hallunken haben sich einfach in die 
Kirche geschlichen bis auf den Turm hinaufgekrcchen und von dort 
heruntergeschossen, dann haben wir sofort die ganze Kirche in Brand 
gesteckt und die ganze Bande die darin waren erschossen ; kaum war 
dies beendet, wurde schon aus dem nachsten Hause geschossen wo 
die Hunde einfach harmlos die weisse Fahne mit dem roten Kreuz 
auf dem Hause wehen liessen, auch dieses wurde sofort in Triimmer 
geschlagen und heruntergebrannt und so gings immer weiter. 



241 

am. 16.8.14:. — Wurde das grosse Dorf Barchon in Brandt gesteckt ; 
am sclben Tage haben wir die Briicke der Maas oder der Mars iiber- 
schritten ; mn 11.50 vorm. kamen dann in die Stadt Wandre, hier 
wurden die Hauser geschont aber alles imtersiicht, endlich waren wir 
ans der Stadt heraus gings wieder alles in Triimmerhaufen ; in einem 
Haiise wurde sogar ein ganzes Waffenlager gefunden, die Einwohner 
wiurden samt nnd senders herausgeholt imd erschossen, aber dieses 
erschiessen war direkt herzzerreissend wie sie alle knieten und beteten 
aber dies half kein Erbarmen : ein paar Schiisse krachten und die 
fielen riicklings in das griine Gras und verschliefen fiir immer. Und 
trotzdem liessen die Rauberbande nicht nach mis einf ach von riichwarts 
niemals von vorne liber den Haufen zu knallen aber von jetzt ab wurde 
uns die Geduld doch zu arg und wiitend und brdllend gings jetzt immer 
weiter und alles was im Wege kam wurde zerschlagen, verbrandt und 
erschossen. Endlich mussten wir im Biwack einriicken, halb miide 
und ermattet liessen wir uns nieder, dann wm^le schnell etwas der 
Durst gestillt aber nur Wein haben wir getrunken, das Wasser haben 
die Bestien halb vergiftet und halb verschont gelassen, na zu essen 
und zu trinken haben Avir hier viel zu viel wo sich irgendwo ein Schwein 
sehen liess oder eine Henne oder eine Ente sogar Tauben alles wurcle 
nieder geschossen und abgeschlachtet dass wir wenigstens was zu 
eseen hatten, ein richtiges Abenteuer ist es. Und jetzt liegen wir 
ungefahr 15 klm entfernt von dem feind. ich glaube entweder heute 
oder morgen werden wir eine grosse entscheidungsschlacht haben, und 
doch gelingt es noch nicht denn die Belgier laufen sich ja voUig todt 
wenn sie unsere maschienengewehre sehen. Die Hallunken {i.e., 
Belgian soldiers) legen sich einfach hin werfen die Waffen fort und mit 
gehobenen Handen kommen die uns entgegen und werden gefangen 
genommen oder zum Teil erschossen und zuriickgedrangt. 

Mit frohem Muthe und heiterem Sinn zogen wir am nachsten 
Morgen durch das Dorf Taturages {sic) also am 24.8.14 bevor wir die 
Vorstadt der Stadt Mons gesaubert hatten und die Hauser in Brand 
gesteckt hatten durch das genannte Dorf. Es zogen sogar Einwohner 
scharenweise aus den Hausern heraus in die weite Flur. Hier spielten 
sich viele herzzerreissende Scenen ab es war wirklich schrecklich mit 
anzusehen. 

[This is an exact copy with all grammatical and orthographical errors.J 



Richard Arland or (Arlund). 

Translation. 

Volunteer, Infantry Regiment 179. Attached to Infantry Regi- 
ment, Crown Prince, 104 ; Leipzig, Aagerwurzner Str. 16 III, 15tb 
Oct. 1914 : — Great requisition on goods station by the men. Object — 
boxes of biscuits, but what rotten luck, the Captain appeared and 
there was trouble for those whom he caught. Everything was taken 
away from us . . . At a place called Deulmont on the 15th 
occupied the ferry and made trenches, in which w^ork the French 
inhalDitants had to take part. 

Original. 

Leipzig, Aager Wurzner Str. 16 III. ICriegsfrv. I.R. 179, zugeteilt 
dem I.R. Kronpprins [sic] 104. 

15.10.14. — Grosse Requisation auf dem Giiterbahnhof durch die 
Manschaften Objeckt {sic) Bisquitkisten. Aber o Pech ! da kam 
der Hauptmann dazu, jetzt gab es Schelten fiir diejenigen welche Er 
erwischte. Samtliches wurde abgenommen. . . . Am 15. Ab- 
marsch nach Delmont wo die Fahre besetzt wurde und SchiitzengrabeiD 
angefertigt woran sich die franzosische Bevolkerung beteiligen musste. 



242 

Pioneer Baltes. 

Translation. 

2nd Pioneer Battalion No. 7, 4tli Field Company, 13th Reserve 

Division, 7th Army Corps :— Liege, 20th. We had there to make 

trenches, for which purpose 50 to 60 civihans had been allotted to us. 

Original. 

2. Pionier Bataillon No. 7, 4. Feld-Kompagnie, 13. Reserve Division 
7. Armee Corps. 

20. August, Liege. — ...Wir v/arfenadort Schiitzengr ben wobei uns 
noch ca 50-60 Civilmannschaften zugeteilt waren . . . 

K. Barthel. 

Translation. 

[This man worked his loay up to the rank of sergeant and standard- 
bearer, and received the Iron Cross {2nd class) ] : " This book belongs 
to my father, to whom I wish it to be sent with the last greetings from 
& loving heart : Berhn 0. 17 Frucht Str. 12/13. The 2nd Company of 
1st Guard Regiment on Foot is to be permitted to see it for the purpose 
of complimenting the war diary of the Company." 

10 Aug. 1914. — We had dinner at Minden in a brewery. W^e were 
-everywhere received most courteously and looked after. We heard 
here of the deeds of terror and cruelty committed by the Belgians at 
Liege. A surgeon-general was quartered with the Oberblirgermeister. 
When he sat down to eat, he was caught from behind by his host and 
his throat was cut. Some wounded were taken into an alleged hospital. 
When the Red Cross man returned with bandaging material the eyes 
of all of them have been put out and their hands tied behind their 
backs. On one of the prisoners were found some fingers which had 
been cut off an officer with rings on them. A transport of 300 Belgians 
came through Duisburg in the morning ; of these, 80 including the 
Oberburgermeister, were shot according to martial law. 

Aug. 16. — The inhabitants are very friendly towards us. The 
oommunal administration calls upon the inhabitants by placard to 
jgive water to the passing troops, so that we march as if in our o^^ti 
country on manoeuvre . 

Aug. 17. — Les Arins. The local solicitor and his family are ex- 
tremely charming. Have given up everything. Have sold 250 
bottles of wine and more and looked after officers and men. When 
I wanted a place to write I immediately got wine and cigars into the 
bargain. In the evening I received in addition 10 boiled eggs and a 
large piece of bread and butter . . . 

Aug. 18. — The bells ring ; in this way the priests are said to betray 
our advance. Patrols have often noticed this. 

Aug. 19.— Heron. The people give us coffee, eggs and jelly, what- 
ever they have got. They cry and embrace us. They did not want 
the war — yes, neither did we : our decent people are therefore behav- 
ing most respectably. At 8 o'clock in the morning, we march through 
Hannech : several, and particularly one sergeant-major and the non- 
commissioned officers, do not behave themselves as they ought to. 
•Grass and Schutt are acting as accomplices (Helfersdienste Jiesteten) 
of the aforesaid sergeant-major. We have our midday rest at 
Hemptimie. Here we have just had wine in huge quantities from a 
deserted chateau. The men are quite mad on it. But one told me 
that he could not stand the sight of the stuff any more. 

Oct. 2. — The Bavarians take no more prisoners. The French say 
if you have the Bavarians we might just as well have the Zouaves to 
help us. 



243 

Oct. 7. — In front of Wailly. " Then a terrible bombardment for 
15 minutes exactly on our position : this is reported to commanding 
officer, whereupon the attack which had been ordered is counter- 
manded, as our people have sunk morally below zero."' 

Original. 

Einj.-Freiw, 2. Komp. 1. G.R.z.F., seit 23.8.1914 abends 12.°° 
Sergeant und Fahnentrager beim I. /I. G.R.z.F., am 21.9.14 das 
" Eiserne Ivreuz II." erhalten : — Dieses Buch gehort meinem Vater 

. . clem ich es zuzusenden bitte mit meinen letzten lieben 
Herzensgrixssen. Berlin 0. 17. Fruchtstr. 12/13. Der 2. Komp. 
Ersten Ga-rderegiments z. F. ist Einsicht zu erlauben zwecks Erganzung 
des Kompagnie-Kriegstagebuches. 

10.8.1914. — In Minden Mittagessen (Brauhaus). Ueberall herz- 
lichst aufgenommen und verpflegt. Greuel- u. Schandtaten der 
Belgier in Llittich erfahren. Oberstabsarzt zuni Oberburgermeister 
ins Quartier. Als er sich zum Essen hinsetzt, wircl er hinterrlicks- 
vom Quartiergeber tiberfallen und Hals abgeschnitten, Einige 
Verwundete werclen in ein angebliches Lazarett gebracht. Als der 
Sanitater mit Verbanclszeug zuriickkommt, sincl alien die Augen 
augestochen und die Hande auf den Rticken gebmiden. Bei einem 
Gefangenem einige abgeschnittene Finger eines Offiziers mit Bingen 
gefunden. Ein Transport von 300 Belgiern morgens durch Duisburg 
gekommen. 80 davon, darunter der Oberburgermeister, erschossen. 

26.8.1914. . . . Die Bevolkerung verhalt sich sehr freundllch. 
Die Gemeindeverwaltung fordert die Bewohner durch Anschlag auf,. 
den durchziehenden Truppen Wasser zu reichen, und so ziehen wir 
gerade wie im eigenen Lande manovermassig weiter. 

17.8.1914. — Les Arins . . . Der Bechtsanwalt und seine 
Familie sind ausserst liebensv/iirdig. Haben das Letzte hergegeben, 
250 Flaschen Wein und mehr verkauft, Offiziere und Mannschaften 
verpflegt. Als ich Platz zum Schreiben haben wollte, bekam ich 
gleich Wein und Zigarren dazu. Abds. erhielt ich noch 10 gekochte 
Eier und eine grosse Butterstulle dazu. 

18.8.1914. — . . . Die Glocken lauten, so sollen die Pfaffen 
unsern Anmarsch verraten. PatrouiUen haben dies des ofteren 
erfahren . 

19.8.1914. — Heron . . . Leute g^ben uns Kaffee, Eier, Gelee 
was sie nur haben. Weinen und fallen uns um den Hals. Sie wollten 
den Krieg nicht. Ja wir auch nicht. Unsere anstandigen Leute- 
benehmen sich deshalb auch hochst anstandig. . . . 8.°° 
Weitermarsch durch Hamieche. Manche, besonders 1 Feldwebel u. 
die Unteroffiziere, betragen sich nicht so, wie sie sollten. Grass und 
Schutt tuen dem betref. Feldwebel Helfersdienste. 

11.30. Mittagspause in Hemptinnes . . . Wein gab es soeben 
in Massen aus einem verlassenem Schlosse. Die Leute sind ganz wild 
danach, einer sagte aber schon, er konnte das Zeug nicht mehr sehen. 

2.x. 1914. . . . Die Bayern machen keine Gefangenen mehr. 
Franzosen sagen : Wenn Ihr die Bayern holt, holen wir ebensogut die 
Zuaven zu HiiKe. 

7.10.1914. — Stellung gegen Dorf Wailly. , , , Dann aber ein 
fiirchterhches Bombardement von 15 Minuten genau auf uns, dies an 
hoherer Stelle gemeldet, woraufhin der befohlene Angriff unterbleibt,. 
da die Leute moralisch unter Null gesunken sind. 

Erich Busch. 

Translation. 

[This is a diary apparently of one Busch, a corporal in the Mh 

Company of a Jdger Regiment whose identification number was evidently 

231 and gun number 118] . . . (Between Soven and) Avanche. — ^I and 



244 

three oberjagers v. ere quartered with 19 men in the house- of the 
Cathohc priest. He himseK had cleared out. We looked through 
everything, fetched the wine out of the cellar and ate Army bread 
and drank wine with it. One bottle I had put in my pocket extra, 
but when I was to go on patrol this morning it fell out of my pocket and 
broke. I have also taken along a letter opener as a keepsake, 

24th Aug. — We marched to a village in the neighbourhood of 
Maamont. In the village they plundered a shop. I also fetched 
out for myself some foot wraps. Ihey struck the teacher on the head 
with a violin because he would not give them wine (Dragoons). 

25th Aug. — In the morning I went into a house after wine. I 
fetched five bottles of wine. Two mere I took along with me. 

28th Aug. — ^Near village of Arven to-day I had at breakfast time 
already red wine and one bottle I still have in my bread bag. [The 
foUouing day.] When we came through the village of Vaux, Count 
von Donau brought us the report that the English had been completely 
beaten and taken prisoners by the 1st Army. We now march still 
nearer to Paris. To-day is the 28th August . . . To-day is 
Sunday, the 30th August. One civihan has been wounded by a 
shot . . . 

5th Sept. — A village in the neighbourhood of La Butte. We lay in 
an ironfoundry. I was in command of the sentry and had with me 
Bulow, Pieper, Liest and Lutche. There was a shop in the house 
where we plundered thoroughly. From here we went to a village 
wliich we took. It was set on fire. It is called Peso- . . . 

8th Sept. — Count Finkenstein had got drunk and so we could not 
leave . . . then the English came and took us prisoners. Of our 
company there will not be many left. Twenty-six men are already 
said to have been buried ... they took as along with them and 
in a shed we got food and they also gave us water. 

Original. 

4. Co., Gewehrnummer 118, Erkennungsnummer 231 . . . 
Avange (sic) Ich bin mit 3 Oberjagern und 19 Mann im Hause des 
Katholischen Pastors einquartiert gewesen. Er selbst war ausgeriickt. 
Wir haben da alles durchstobert. Den Wein haben wir aus dem Keller 
geholt und Komissbrot geges§en und Wein dazu getrunken. Ich hatte 
mir noch eine Flasche eingesteckt. Als ich heute friih eine Patrulie 
gehen soUte viel sie mir aus der Tasche und war kaput. Ich habemir 
audi noch einen Brief offner zur Erinnerung mitgenommen. 

24. August. — Wir sind dann bis nach einem Dorfe maschiert in 
der Nahe von Maamont. ... In dem Dorfe haben sie einen 
Kaufladen gepliindert. Ich habe mir auch Fuslappen geholt. Dem 
Lehrer haben sie mit der Giege auf den Kopf gehauen, well er keinen 
Wein geben wollte. (Dragoner). 

25. August . . . — Friih bin ich in ein Haus nach Wein gegangen. 
Ich habe fiinf Flaschen rot Wein geholt. Zwei Flaschen habe ich 
mir mit genommen. 

' 28. August.^ — -Arven. Heute habe ich zum Frtihstiick schon 
Rotwein getrunken und eine Flasche habe ich noch im Brotbeutel 
. . Als wir durch das Dorf Vaut kamen brachte uns Graf zu 
Donau (sic) die Kunde dass die Englander vollstandig geschlagen und 
gefangen genommen sind von der 1. Armee. Wir maschieren jetzt 
immer naher nach Pans . . . Est ist der 28. August heute . . . 
Es ist Heute Sonntag der 30. August . . . Ein Zivilist ist anges- 
chossen worden. 

5. September. — Wir sind jetzt in einem Dorfe in der Nahe von La 
Butte . . . Wir lagen hier in einem Eisenlager. Ich musste als 
Wachhabender aufziehen mit Biilow, Pieper, Liest u. Lutsche. Es 
war ein Geschaft in dem Hause, wo machtig gepliindert wurde. Von. 



245 

hier sind wir nach einem Dorfe maschiert, welches wir erobert haben. 
Es wurde in Brand gesteckt. Et heisst Reso. 

8. Saptember . . . — Graf Finkenstein hatte sich betrunken, 
und deshalb sind wir nieht weg gegangen . . . Die Englander 
kamen dann und nahnien uns gefangen . . . Von unserer Co. 
werdennicht vieldasein. 26 Mann soUen sclion begrabensein . . . 
Sie haben uns dann mit genommen und in eine Scheun haben wir 
gegessen zu Essen und Wasser haben sie *ins auch gegeben. 
[Bad grammar and spelling as in original.] 



Jager Otto Clepp. 
Translation. 

2nd Company of the Reserve-Buckeburg. [On the opposite page] 
Property Otto Clepp, U. Barmen, Haspelerschul Str. No. 1 : — Aug. 
17th. — But to-day I cried to see such miser3^ 

Aug. 22nd., 3 a.m., Liege. — Two infantry [regiments] shot at each 
other. Nine dead and 50 wounded — fault not j^et ascertained. 

Original. 

2. Comp. der Reserve, Blickeburg. Eigentum, Otto Clepp, U. 
Barmen, Haspelerschulstr. No. 1. 

Montag, 17. August. . . . Lan-Don. Hevite habe ich aber 
sehr geweint so ein Eiend zu sehen. 

Samstag, 22. August, Liege, 3 Uhr, Nacht, 2. Infanterie gegen- 
seitig beschossen ; 9 Tote und 50 Verwundete. Schuld noch nicht 
bestimmt. 

Heinrich Cordes. 
Translation. 

[This is an English officer's hook. Army Booh 153. First comes 
loose leaf, evidently letter to girl from Wilhelm Schwabe. Note from 
British Intelligence Department on inside back cover shows that diary 
was begun by Schwabe — the name and address of whose lady friend 
appear in inside of front cover — and continued by Cordes. It appears 
that it was a joint book to be continued by the survivor, and after death 
of both to be sent to address given by Schwabe. Both then belonged to 
the 2nd Company Reserve Jager 7, \Zth Division.] 

On loose sheet : — " I hope that we shall not have to go out again 
until to-night, and Cordes, Jaeger and I can [enjoy ourselves, or rest] 
with a good bottle of red wine this afternoon, of which there is so 
jnuch here that one can literally swim." 

Diary. 

[A number of pages torn out at beginning. The pages appear to be 
carbon copies of writing on a page which has been torn out.] 

5th Aug. 1914 [should be 5th Sept. 1914]. — Chateau Bergie a Havy. 
Just at this moment Heinrich C[ordes] fetches some bottles of cham- 
pagne and red and white wine out of the wine cellar, in which there 
are hundi'eds of bottles and many casks. This is permitted by the 
battalion. 

10th Sept. 1914, Bachant, evening, 7.45.— This night at 12.20 (a.m.) 
command came from the general commando that we should start for 
Paris at 5.10. The command came as a great surprise, because all 
our officers thought we should march on Antwerp because we had 
taken this direction from Maubeuge. The marches to Paris are to 
l3e made in the shortest possible time. These will be strenuous days, 
but the objective is '" Paris," and what German soldier would not Hke 



246 

to take part in the entry into this town of the hereclitarjj enemy. 
Therefore merrily forward. The morale of the battalion is most 
excellent in spite of the exertion and the preceding strenuous days. 
It is stated that the road to Paris is not very much held by the enemy ^ 
and we will probably only have a few small skirmishes. The inhabi- 
tants of France are much more friendly than in Belgium. Everywhere 
along the roads in villages and towns the inhabitants place water in 
the streets — I would not Hke to say whether it is really well meant. 

13th Sept. 1914.^ — The place in which is the division which we are 
to attack is called Bussy. They are English troops whom we are to 
attack. They will make a determined resistance, that is certain, 
because they know they will not be given much quarter. [On the 
19th September 1914 is the last entry in the handwriting of Schwabe ; 
on the afternoon of the 20th begins the diary of H. Cordes, who states 
that Schwabe was shot.] 

At Courtecon, 24th Sept. 1914. — The inhabitants of the village 
are collected and led away. The second burgomaster is shot, as he 
has telephonic communication with the French Army and thus betrayed 
our movements. 

Joint with Wilhelm Schwabe. 
Original. 

Schwabe writes — Hoffentlich brauchen wir erst heute Abend 
wieder hinaus und Cordes, Jager und ich konnen heute Mittag bei 
einer guten Flasche Rotwein, den es hier so viel giebt class man buch- 
stablich darin schwimmen kann .... 

5/8 [should be 5/9], Schloss Bergu a Havy, 1^° Uhr, Mittag. 

. . . . Gerade holt Heinrich C. aus clem Weinkeller, in welchem 
Hunderte von Flaschen und viele Fasser liegen, einige Flaschen Seekt, 
Rot und Weisswein. Vom Batl. ist dies gestattet. . . •. 

Bachant d. 10/9, 14 Abends 7.45 Uhr. Heute Nacht um 12.20 
traf vom General-komando der Befehl ein dass wir um 5.10 Uhr uns 
auf den Marsch nach Paris zu machen sollten. Der Befehl traf sehr 
tiberraschend ein, denn unsere Offiziere glaubten alle, wir wtirden auf 
Antwerpen zu marschiren, well wir von Maubeuge aus diese Richtung 
eingeschlagen hatten. In mogiichst kurzer Zeit sollen nun die Marsche 
bis Paris gemacht werden. Das werden anstrengende Tage, aber es 
gilt " Paris " und welcher Deutsche Soldat mochte nicht den Einzug 
in diese Stadt des Erbfeindes mitmachen. Darum frisch drauf los. 
Die Stimmung im Batl. ist trotz der Anstrengung und den vorherge- 
henden schweren Tagen eine ganz vorztigliche. Wie es heisst ist der 
Weg bis Paris nicht sehr vom Feinde belegt und werden wir wohl nur 
einige kleine Scharmtitzel zu bestehen haben. 

Die Bevolkerung in Franlo'eich ist viel freu-ndlicher wie in Belgien. 
Uberall an den Strassen (in Dorfern u. Staclten) stellen die Bewohner 
Wasser an die Strasse, ob dass nun wirklich so gemeint ist, mochte 
ich nicht behaupten. 

13/9. 14. . . . Der Ort, in dem sich die Division, welche wir 
angreifen sollen, befindet, heisst Bussy. Es sind engiische Truppen die 
wir angreifen sollen. Sie werden sich hartnackig wehren, das ist gewiss, 
denn sie wissen, dass ihnen nicht viel Pardon gegeben wird. . . . 

[Schwabe is shot on the 19/9 aTid on the 20th Cordes begins.] 

Courtecon, 24 Sept Die Bewohner des Dorfes werden 

zusammergebracht und abgeftihrt. Der 2te Btirgermeister erschossen^ 
da er telephonische Verbindung zur frz. Armee hat, und so unsere 
Bewegungen verriet, 

Jager Hans Georg Harwabt. 
Translation. 
Bttn. of the Jagers of the Guard, 4th Company. [Address before 
the war] Brandenbiu-g. 



247 

Trois-Ponts, Aug. 9. — To-day a proclamation was published 
demanding that all weapons should be delivered up which the inhabi- 
tants had in their possession. The people immediately carried out 
the orders and brought in a large number, among them some of the 
most impossible shooting-irons. 

Vielsalm, Aug. 12. — We have just shot a cow which we take along. 
Of course it is not paid for. That is revenge ; up to now we have 
paid for everything honestly, but this morning, at 3 o'clock, a non- 
commissioned officer of the 73rd Regiment was shot by a peasant on 
the railway line. Thereby the civilians also have begun war on us 
and must take the consequences. 

Aug. 23. — Courselles is a town in the industrial district. Here 
there are very many mines. The inhabitants are charming and put 
out buckets of water in front of the door for us when we passed. They 
also offered us tobacco, fruit, milk and cake and beer. I believe they 
do it only out of fear, but it is very pleasant for us. 

Aug. 24. — A woman told us that the proprietress of the shop, a 
widow, had left the place yesterday being afraid of the English. Eh 
bien. Him-ichs and I proceeded to smash a window at the back. We 
got into the kitchen and found here a round loaf. From there down 
to the cellar, where we took five bottles of wine and four bottles of 
beer along. Then finding all the communicating doors upstairs locked, 
we broke down one after another. So we got into the shop. There 
we found practically everything we were looking for — socks, shirts, 
trousers, cigars and so on. At least 12 lbs. bonbons and 20 lbs. apple 
cake, very fine stuff, we took to the company. 

Aug. 26. — Blamont. Here H. and I looted a villa ; nnfortunately 
nothing useful fell into our hands except letter paper and stamps. 

Aug. 30th. — ^We had permission to get imderwear and eatables 
from the houses, and soon the " Chasseiu's de Garde " appeared in 
faultless shirts, pants, and socks. .Also sausages, ham, and cakes 
and preserved fruit were lugged out. We are not doing at all badly 
and are glad to have these quarters. 

Oise, Aug. 39. — I used the intervening period to procm^e a bicycle, 
I asked the sergeant-major if I might use it and he gave me permission. 

Sept. 2. — Englishmen and Belgians do not exist for us any more. 

3rd Sept. 1914. — We fried some eggs and bread we had with us. 
We got the owner to give us glasses and had champagne with the 

eggs- 

5th Sept, 1914. — Here we have three roast rabbits which we ate 
cold, and the usual champagne and red wine was not missing. , , . 
I went to my company {at La Fere Gauche) Vvdth the rest of my goods 
over my arm and lay down in my overcoat in the garden to sleep on 
the green silk eiderdown bed which I had brought along. 

Original. 

Garde- Jager Batl., 4te Comp., Address : Brandenburg : — 

Trois-Ponts, Aug. 9 . . , Heute wurde in einem Aufruf 
aufgefordert, alle Waffen abzugeben, die die Bewohner in ihrem 
Besitze batten. Unverziiglich kamen die Leute diesem Befehle nach 
und brachten eine grosse Zahl, teilweise aber auch ganz unmogliche 
Schiesspriigel an. 

Vielsalm, Aug. 12. — Soeben (haben) wir eine Kuh erschossen, die 
wir mitnehmen. Bezahlt wircl sie natiirlich nicht. Das ist die 
Rache. Bis jetzt haben war alles ehrlich entrichtet doch heut friih 
um 3 Uhr Avurde von einem paisant ein Unterofl&zier von dem 73. auf 
der Bahnstrecke erschossen. Damit haben uns auch die Zivilisten 
den Krieg erklart und miissen die Folgen tragen. 

Com\selles, den 23.8.14. , . . Es giebt hier sehi' viel Berg- 
werke. Die EinA^ohner sind nett und stellten uns als wir vorii- 



248 

berkamen, Wassereimer vor die Tur. Audi bot man ims Tabak, 
Milch, Obst und Kuchen, auch Bier an. Ich glaube, die Leute tun 
das Alles nur aus Angst., fiir uns aber ist's jedenfalls ganz angenehm, 

Aug. 24. — Eine Frau sagte mir die Besitzerin des Geschaftes, eine 
WittM^e, habe gestern den Ort verlassen aus Furcht vor den Englandern. 
Eh bien. Ich machte mich nun mit Hinrichs daran, eine Fenster 
der Hinterfront einzuschlagen. Wir gelangten in die Kiiche und 
fanden hier ein rundes Brot. Von hier gings in den Keller, wo wir 
5 Flaschen Wein und 4 Flaschen Bier mitgehen hiessen. Dann 
schlugen wir oben, da alle Verbindungstiiren verschlossen Avaren, eine 
Tiirfiillung nach der andern ein. So gelangten wir in den Laden. 
Wh fanden hier nun so ziemlich alles, was wir suchten. Striimpfe, 
Hemden, Hos. Cigarren und so welter. Mindestens 12 Pfund 
Bonbons unci 20 Pfund Apfelschnitte, ein sehr schones Zeug, brachten 
wir zur Kompagnie. 

Asvesnes, den 26. Aug. 1914. . . . In Blamont pliinderten 
Miv (Hinrichs und ich) eine Villa, wobei uns allerdings ausser Brief- 
papier und Mar ken niehts Brauchbares in die Hande fiel. 

Aug. 30.^ — Es wurde uns erlaubt uns Wasche u. Esswaren aus den 
Hausern holen zu diirfen und bald kommen die Chasseurs du Garde 
mit tadellosen Hemden und Unterhosen und Striimpfen an. Auch 
Wiirste und Schinken Kakes und eingemachte Friichte wurden ange- 
schleppt. Man lebte hier garnicht schlecht und jeder war froh, hier 
ein Quartier zu bekommen. 

Oise, den 30. August. — Ich hatte die Zeit inzwischen benutzt, mir 
ein Rad zu besorgen fragte den Feldwebel ob ich da^selbe beniitzen 
konnte und bekam auch die Erlaubniss. 

Soissons, 2.9.14. — Englander und Belgier giebt es nicht mehir 
fiir uns Farme Nampteulle siir Murel 3.9.14. Wir brieten Eier, Brot 
hatten wir mit. Wir liessen uns von dem Besitzer Glaser geben und 
tranken zu den Eiern Sekt. 

5.9.14. — ^Auch drei gebratene Kaninchen wurden kalt verzehi't 
und der iibliche Sekt und R-otwein fehlte nicht. . . . Ich suchte 
mit dem Rest meiner Habe im Arm meine Kompagnie auf und legte 
mich mit dem Mantel auf das mitgebrachte griinseidene Daunenbetfr 
im Garten zum Schlafen nieder. 

Hermai^n — ■. 



Translation. 

[A letter written by one, Hermann [evidently Christian name], to 
his parents and brother, from Vie.ville near Lens, dated 11th October 
1914] : — Then we marched as far as Douai, where we had a long rest, 
and in the morning we had with our breakfast (dry bread), cham- 
pagne. 

Pont a Vendin. — In one house we found a stoi'e of about 100 boxes, 
which contained sardines in oil packed in tins ; of course everyone 
took what he could carry — I, also, 30 tins. One must in fairness? 
say that our soldiers take only food, also wine, and those who require 
it also underwear : apart from that we do no plundering. I myself 
have already taken shirts and pants, that is necessity, because nothing- 
is replaced by the army. We can no longer wash our things, because 
rest days are a luxury. It is not prohibited, nobody says anything. 
Here is an episode of the street fighting. A platoon of the 4th Com- 
pany lay well covered oppof^ite the railway station. One saw an old 
woman coming from the direction of the station (there was no shooting) 
in our direction. She gesticulated and ran along the whole front of 
the platoon. Then she again disappeared into a house, and she was- 
hardly in it when the French fired at this platoon like mad. The 
result was the platoon had to go back, but with a loss of three dead, 
and two seriously, and eight slightly wounded. (Strength of the 



249 

platoon 48 men.) In this way one can report a lot of all the little 
fights. The woman was shot later on in the town as a warning 
example. The 9th Company had caught tliree civilians who had 
fired. When storming a barricade (every street was barricaded) 
he [the officer] had these three driven in front of the firing line, all 
three were shot by their own countrymen. 

Original. 

[A letter written to his 'parents and brother signed " Herman,^'' from 
Vieville near Lens, dated \\th Oct. 1914] : — Wir marschierten dann bis 
Douai. wo wir eine langere Rast machten, und morgens zum Friih- 
stiick (Stiick trockenes Brot) Sekt tranken. 

(Pont a Vendin.) In einem Hause fanden wir ein Lager von 
100 Kisten, in denen in Biichsen verj)ackte Olsardinen waren, natmlich 
nahm sich jeder mit, was er tragen konnte ; ich selbst auch 30 Biich- 
sen . . . Man muss anerkennen, dass unsere Soldaten nur 
Lebensmittel, auch Wein und dann wer notig hat auch Wasche 
mitnehmen geraubt wird sonst nichts. Ich selbst habe mich schon 
Hem den und Unterhosen genommen. Das ist Not, vom Heere 
bekommt man keinen Ersatz. Waschen kann man nicht mehr da 
Ruhetage Luxus sind. Es ist nicht verboten, es sagt auch keiner 
was. So noch eine Episode aus dem Strassenkampfe. Ein Zug der 
4. Kompagnie lag gut gedeckt dem Bahnhof gegeniiber. Eine alte 
Fran sah ma,n vom Bahnhof e her kommen (geschossen wnrrde nicht) 
zu uns heriiber, gestikulierte und lief an der ganzen Front des Zuges 
herunter. Dann verschwand sie wieder in ein Haus und kaum war 
sie drin, da schossen die Franzosen wie wild auf diesen Zug. Die 
Folge er musste zm'iick, er kam auch zuriick, aber mit einem Verluste 
von 3 Toten, 2 Schwer und 8 Leichtverwundeten (Starke des Zuges 
48 Mann). So kann man eine Menge berichten von all den kleineji 
Kampfen. Die Fran ist darauf in der Stadt erschossen worden als 
abschreckendes Beispiel. Die 9. Kompagnie hatte 3 Zivilisten 
gefangen die geschossen hatten. Beim Sturm auf eine Barrikade 
(jede Strasse war verb arri kadi ert) liess er die 3 vor der Schiitzenlinie 
hertreiben, alle drei sind erschossen von iliren eigenen Landsleuten. 



Hussa,r W. Hiller. 
Translation. 

4th Squadron, 2nd Regiment. 6th Aug. 1914 : — After we had 
taken three houses we proceeded. The village Wahrheit burnt at all 
corners because the inhabitants had fired on troops. Here one saw 
only bm?ning houses and heaps of dead people and horses every tliree 
steps. 

7th Aug. 1914. — ^Friday at 8.30 came the news that English had 
landed in Belgium. We broke up immediately everything, and we went 
on. On the road we saw many people hanging. 

Original. 

4te Schwadron, 2tes Regiment : — 

6.8.14. — ^Nachdem wir 3 Hauser genommen hatten ging es weiter. 
Das Dorf Wahrheit (0 brannte an alien Ecken, well die Bewohner 
Militar beschossen hatten. Hier sah man also nm- brennende Hauser. 
Haufen toter Menschen und Pferde alle 3 Schritt. 

Freitag d. 7.8.14. — Um 8.30 kam die Nachricht das Englander in 
Belgien landen, sofort wurde Alles abgebrochen und es ging weiter. 
Auf dem Wege sah man viel aufgehangene Leute. 



250 



See Plates 
5 and 6 at 
pp. 291, 292, 



See Plates 
5 and 6 at 
pp. 291, 292. 



Kurt Hoffmann. • 

Translation. 

Einj, 1st Company Jager No. 4, Naimiberg-on-Saale : — ^Atig. 4tth., 
Herve. — Hardly had we gone to bed dead-beat at 9.30, when there 
were shots, crack, crack ! It struck against our wall — everybody 
out, nothing to be seen. Our field patrol supposed to have shot at 
the relief patrol (?). 

Aug. 5th (in front of Fort Fleron). — The position was dangerous. 
As suspicious civilians were hanging about, houses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, were 
cleared, the owners arrested (and shot the following day). Sudden! jr 
village A. was fired at. Out of it bm-sts our baggage train, and the 
4th Company of the 27th Regiment, who had lost their way and 
been shelled by our own artillery. From the point D, P,,* I shoot 
a civilian with rifle. At 400 metres, slaj) through the head, as we 
afterwards ascertained. 

Field patrol established in house 31, Gantert arrives with a cyclists' 
patrol. A man approaches who does not give the countersign : a 
shot, another one : ten minutes later people approach who are talking 
escitedly^ — apparently Germans. I call out " Halt ! who's there ? " 
Suddenly rapid fire is opened upon us, which I can only escape by 
quickly jumping on one side- — with bullets and fragments of wall and 
pieces of glass %ing round me. I call out " Halt, here field patrol." 
Then it stops, and there appears Lieutenant Romer with three platoons. 
A man had reported that he had been shot at out of our house : no 
wonder, if he does not give the countersign. . . . We were supposed 
to go via Micheroux, &c., to Fleron. However, already in Mieheroux 
the enemy appeared — no military, but civilians supposed to have 
been soldiers in mufti, because shot after shot came out of the houses 
at Mieheroux. There were flashes from all the attic windows. Result, 
in half an hour the village was a mass of fiames. That was the begin- 
ning of the fight of the 6th August, the details of which it is too horrible 
to describe. 

Original. 

Einj. der 1. Jag 4, Naumburg, Saale : — 4. Aug. Herve. Ka-tim 
lagen wir todmlide um 9.30 im Rett, als Schiisse fielen. Klatsch, 
klatsch schlugs gegen unsere Mauer. Alles raus ! Mchts gesehen ! 
Unsere Feldwache " sollte " auf die Ablosung geschossen haben (?). 

5. Aug.- — (Auf Feldwache gegenliber Fort Fleron.) Rer Postenwa.r 
gefahrhch. Ra verdachtige Zivilisten umherschwirrten, wurden die 
Hauser, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 geraumt, die Resitzer verhaftet (und am anderen 
Tage erschossen). Plotzlich wurde das Rorf A. beschossen. Heraus 
spritzt unsere Ragage und 4. Kompagnie 27. die sich verlaufen 
hatten und von eigener Artillerie beschossen sind. *Von R. P. aus 
erschiesse ich einen Zivilisten mit Gewehr. Auf 400 m. genau durch 

denSchadel, wie wirspaterhinfeststellten Abends richtet 

sich die Feldwache im Hause 3 ein Gantert mit einer 

Radfahr-patrouille kommt. Ra naht ein Mann, der die Parole nicht 
giebt, Schuss. Noch einer. Nach 10 Minuten kommen Leute, die 
aufgeregt sprechen. Anscheinend Reutsche. Ich rufe : " Halt, 
werda ! " Plotzlich geht ein Schnellfeuer auf uns los, dem ich nur 
durch schnelles Reiseitespringen entgehen kann. Um mich prasselts 
von Kugel-Mauer-und Glassphttern. Ich rufe : " Halt, die Feld- 
wache ! " Ra horts auf. Sichtbar wird Lt. Eomer mit 3 Gruppen : 
Ein Mann hatte gemeldet, er ware aus unserm Hause beschossen 
worden. Kein Wunder, wenn er die Parole nicht giebt. . . . Wir 
marschierten also ab, der Weg sollte fiihren liber Mieheroux . . . 
nach Fleront. Roch schon in M. war der Feind, allerdings kein 
Mihtar sondern Civilisten — es soUen " Soldaten in Zivil " gewesen sein. 

* See Plate 5. 



251 

Denn Schuss auf Schuss erfolgte aiis den Hausern von Micheroux. 
Avis alien Dachluken blitzte es. Folge : in einer halben Stunde ging 
das Dorf in Flammen auf. Das war der Anfang des Gefechtes am 
6. Aug. Donnerstag, dessen Einzelheiten zu schildem zu grauenvoll 
ist. 

Fritz Hollmann. 
Translation. 

1st Squadron, 2nd Westphalian Hussar Regiment, No. 11, 9th See Plates 
Cavalry Division, 7tli Army Corps. [Extract from Utter dated October "^ ^PA^ ** 
IWi and ivritten from near Lille.'] — The onlj^ good thing is that one ^* 
need not be thirsty here. We drink five or six bottles of champagne 
a day, and as to underlinen- — only silk, as if one has no more under- 
linen, one simply goes into a house and changes. Mostly of course 
there are no people in the houses, but when there are any they say : 
" Monsieur, there is no more," but for us there is no such thing as 
" no more." These poor people are really to be commiserated, but 
of course it is war .... You write about money. We have 
received no pay since the 1st September. When I get it, I will send 
3^ou 80 marks. [Judging from ivhat appears to be the envelope of a 
field post letter jmsted into the back of this diary, the diarist's relations 
reside at Hotel Central, Heiligenhaus, Lower Rhein, and the sender of the 
letter is Fritz Hollmann. Enclosed with the Hollmann letter is another 
document — a letter addressed to parents — obviously not in the same hand- 
writing, wJiich contains the following extract] : " We have been very 
hungry now we are pursuing the Belgians, and we soon shall be in 
France on the frontier but we went collecting [for food] and when we 
came to a farmer they shot at us. Then we went in and took every- 
thing away and stabbed them to death. When we got into a village 
the people shot at us out of the houses, so we burnt the houses, but it 
is impossible to describe how it looked. God knows what will happen 
to us in France." 

Original. 

1. Escadron, 2. Westph. Husaren Regiment No. 11, 9. Kaval.- ^ee Plates 
Division, 7. Armeekorps : — Frankreich, d. 11.10.13 [meaning of course 7 and 8 at 
11.10.14, written from near Lille]. Das einzig gute man braucht nicht ^' 
zu dursten. 5-6 Flaschen Sekt nehmen wir jeden Tag zu uns und 
Wasche nur Seiden. Hat man keine Wasche mehr, so geht in ein 
Haus rein und wircl sich erst umgekleidet. Meistens zind ja keine 
Leute da sind aber welche da dann sagen Sie, Mosjo Laplii {sic) aber 
bei uns giebts kein Laplii. Ja wirklich die armen Leute sind zu 
bedauern aber es ist eben Krieg. . . . Du schreibst von Geld, wir 
haben seit dem 1. Sept. keine Lohnung mehr bekommen ; wenn ich 
die Lohnung bekomme so werde ich 80 M. schicken. 

A letter, not in the same handwriting as the above, and written by a 
very illiterate person : — 

. . . Aber wir haben sehr grossen Hunger gehabt, jetzt gehen 
wir immer nach den Belgien hinter nach und wir sind bait in Franla-eich 
auf der Grenze. Aber wir sind Fechten gegangen wie ich zu einem 
Bauer kam, da haben sie geschossen, da sind wir rein gegangen und 
haben alles wekgenommen und haben sie totgestossen, wen wir in ein 
Torf kamen da haben die Leute aus den Hauser geschossen aber wir 
haben die Hauser in Brant gesteckt. Aber das kan ja nicht so beschrei- 
ben wie es aus gesehen hat. Gott weiss wie es uns in Franlo^eich 
gehen wird. 

Josef Gisi. 
Translation 

Musketeer, 3rd Company, 114th Regiment, 6th Baden Infantry 
Regiment, 57th Infantry Brigade, consists of two Utters written near 
Lille, addressed : Hauptlehrer Seitz, Adr. Riedern a/Wald, Baden, 



252 

in which it is stated : "I expected that you would have cpme as an 
aspirant to a commission. We particularly want officers urgently 
because the damn Frenchmen shoot them all." [In the other letter to 
his father he writes] : — " There is plenty of wine in the houses once 
you are in them, but there is the rub. Every village and every house 
has to be stormed because the first day when we arrived here by rail 
and marched forward there was firing out of all houses. We broke 
open the houses and searched them, but no persons were found except 
some civilians. They also must surely have fired and many were 
taken along. Hardly had we finished with one house and wanted to 
cross the street when shots again came from all directions. Now 
we set fire to the houses as far as we could. Of course the women 
howled, but one gets into such a fury when one takes part in such 
an occurrence. We had one dead and a few wounded. Afterwards 
the village was also bombarded by artillery. Then the French cleared 
the village." 

Original. 

Musketier, 3. Komp., 114., 6. Bad. Inf. Eeg., 57. Inf. Brigade. 

Two Letters. 

One letter to Herrn Hauptlehrer Seitz, Eiedern a/Wald, Baden, 
containing passage : — Ich hatte gedacht, Sie waren auch mit als 
Offiziersaspirant, die Offiziere brauchen wir namlich notig, die verd. 
Franzmanner schiessen uns alle weg. 

Other letter to Lieber Vater u. Geschwister containing 'passage : — 
Wein gibts Genug in den Hausern wenn man mal drin ist, aber das ist 
eben die Sache. Jedes Dorf u. jedes Haus muss gesttirmt wercten, 
denn den ersten Tag wo wir hier ankamen mit der Bahn u. vormar- 
schierten, so wurde aus alien Hausern geschossen. Wir brachen die 
Hauser auf u. untersuchten sie aber kein Mensch "uurde mehr gefunden 
ausser einigen Zivil ; jedenfall haben die auch geschossen es wurden 
viele mitgenommen ; kaum waren wir mit einem Haus fertig u. man 
wollte liber die Strasse, so knallte es wieder aus alien Ecken, nun 
steckten wir so weit wir konnten die Hauser in Brand. Die Frauen 
haben zwar geheult aber da bekommt man so eine Wut, wenn man 
so was mitmacht. Wir hatte n 1 Totenu. paar Verwundete. Nachher 
wurde das Dorf dann noch von der Artillerie beschossen. Da machten 
die Franzosen das Nast leer. 

Stephan Luther, 
Translation. 

Einjahriger, 1st Mounted Battery, Field Artillery, Regiment No. 3. 
\No address.] 5th Aug. [near Liege.] — At midnight we captured a 
spy in German uniform who of course was shot like all the others. 

On Monday, 10th. — Marching via Laden, and several friendly 
disposed villages, one of them bombarded in error, and after several 
further mistakes temporary quarters on the hill behind the village, 
which was again completely on fire. In the village below, the saddest 
scenes ; naturally many misunderstandings occurred because officers 
understood no French. There was terrible destruction ; in one 
farmhouse was a woman who had been completely stripped and who 
lay on burnt beams. There was of course reason for such procedure, 
but how savage. 

12th August 1914. (Halen.) — Conditions in the village inde- 
scribable. Near Rossoux on the 17th wine by the cask. We live 
like God in France ; the villa of a Belgian general supplies everything. 

29th August 1914. Near Libons. — Quartered in the completely 
deserted village on a poor 77-year old man . With the greatest difficulty 
got hold of some eggs ; otherwise nothing. Terrible conditions in the 
destroved houses. 



253 

Original. 

Einj. Freiwilliger, 1. reitencle Batterie, F.A.R. No. 3. 

5. August. . . . [near Liege.] — Um Mitternacht fassten wir 
einen Spion in deutscher Uniform, der natiirlich sofort wie alle Andern 
erschossen wui'de. 

Montag, d. 10. Aug.— Marsch iiber Laden u. div. freundl. gesinnte 
Dorfer, irrtiimliches Beschiessen des einen. Danach nach verschie- 
denen Verwechslungen Notbiwack auf der Hohe hinter dem Dorfe, 
das wieder vollstandig brannte. Im Dorfe unten die tramdgsten 
Scenen, dadiu'ch, dass die Ofltiziere kein franzosisch verstanden kamen 
natiii'lich viele Missverstandnisse vor. Sehreckliche Verwiistungen, in 
dem einen Bauernhaus war ein Weib, das man vollstandig ausgezogen 
liatte, u, auf verkohlten Balken lag. Grund zu solchem Vorgehen v/ar 
natiirlich da, doch wie roh. 

12. Aug. (Halen) Zustand des Dorfes unbeschrieblich. 

17. x\ug Wein fassweise. Wir leben wie Gott in 

Frankreich. Die Villa vom belgischen General liefert alles. 

29. Aug., bei Libons. Quartier in dem vollstandig verlassenen 
Dorfe bei einem armen 77-jahrigen, mit Miihe u. Not einige Eier 
aufzutreiben, sonst nichts, sclu'eckliche Zustande in dem verwiisteten 
Hausern. 

Matbern. 
Translation. 

[4th Company of the Jager No. 11, from Marburg]. Aug. 6th <> p, , 
crossed frontier. — ^Inhabitants on border very good to us and give us g^andlo'at 
many things. There is no difference noticeable. pp. 294, 295, 

Aug. 12th. — The (French) aviator recently fired upon was again 
fired on by dragoons of guards and had to come down. He had 
previously tlirown down a letter to the mayor of Bastogne asking him 
for help and that he should meet him at an appointed place. This 
mayor was shot. 

Aug. 23rd, Smiday (between Birnal and Dinant, village of Disonge). 
— ^At 11 o'clock the order comes to advance after the artillery has 
thoroughly prepared the ground ahead. The Pioneers and Infantr}^ 
Regiment 178 were marching in front of us. Near a small village 
the latter were fired on by the inhabitants. About 220 inhabitants 
were shot and the village was burnt — artillery is continuously shooting 
— the village lies in a large ravine. Just now, 6 o'clock in the after- 
noon, the crossing of the Maas begins near Dinant . . . All villages, 
chateaux, and houses are burnt cloAvn during this night. It was a 
beautiful sight to see the fires all round us in the distance. 

Aug. 24th. — In every village one finds only heaps of ruins and many 
dead. 

Aug 26th.^ — In the afternoon at 4,30 we crossed the French frontier 

amidst great cheering Now come the good hours. 

Eggs, wine, and especially champagne we fairly bathed in. We have 
never had such a time after four days of starvation. 

Aug. 27th. — This night we lived gorgeously and had a fine time. 
We had champagne, cream, poultry, and wine. 

Original, 

4, Komp,, 11, Jager Batl., Marburg. 

Aug. 6. — Ueber die Belgische Grenze. Die Bevolkerung ist sehr SeefPlates ' 
gut zu uns und giebt uns Vieles. Man findet kein Unterschied, 9 and 10 at 

12.8.14. — Der zuletzt beschossene (franzosische) Flieger wurde von PP- ^94, 295. 
den Garde -Dragonern nochmals beschossen und musste er dann nieder 
gehen. Er hatte vorher einen Brief an den Biirgermeister von 
Bastonne (sic) runtergeworfen und denselben um Hilfe gebeten dass er 
sich an einer bezeichneten Stelle mit ihm treffen sollte. Dieser Biirger- 
meister wurde erschossen. 



254 

Sonntag, 23.8.14. . . . [near Dinant]. Um 11 Uhr kommt der 
Befehl zum Vorgehen, nachdem die Artillerie tiichtig vorgearteitet hat. 
Vor uns marschierten die Pioniere mid Infanterie 178. Bei einem 
kleinen Dorf sind Letztere von den Bewohnern beschossen worden. 
Es wurden c^ 220 Einwohner erschossen und das Dorf verbrannt. 
Artillerie schiesst fortwahxend. Das Dorf liegt in einer grossen 
Sciiliicht. Soeben Nachm. 6 Uhr beginnt der Uebergang iiber die Maas 

bei Dinant Sammtliche Dorfer, Schiosser, Hauser sind 

niedergebrannt in dieser Nacht. Das war ein herrlieher Anblick im 
weitem Umkreise die Feuer zu sehen. 

Montag, 24.8.14 In jedem Dorfe finden wir nur einen 

Triimmerhanfen und viele Tote. 

Mittwoch, 26.8.14 Am Nachm. um 4.30 Ulir iiber- 

schritten wir unter lautem Hurra die franz. Grenze .... Jetzt 
ging es an die gviten Stunden, in Eier und Wein besonders Seckt 
badeten wir nur so. Sowas hatten wir noch nicht erlebt nach 4 Tagen 
langes Hungern. . . . 

27.8.14 Die Nacht lebten wir herrlich und in Freuden. 

Seckt, Rahm. G:fliUel, Wein wurden genossen. 



Beuno Meyee. 

Translation. 

[No regiment or address] :— Louveignie. Leave quarters in the 

evening at 8.30 as several soldiers have been shot by the inhabitants. 

Louveignie is partly set on fke by artillery, also [inhabitants'] shot. 

Back to Theux. 

[No date, hut somewhat further on]. — Tm-ee houses are set on fire, one 
considerable farmhouse. The owner of the farmhouse hangs himself. 

Original. 

Quartier (in Louveignie) wirds Abends 8.30, veriassen da die 
Soldaten von Einwolmern erschossen. Louveignie wird teils in Brand 
geschossen, auch erschossen zuriick nach Theut 

3 Hauser werden in Brand gesteckt, 1 grosseres Gehoft. Der 
Besitzer des Gehofts erhangt sich. 



Dr. Wolfgang Mtjller. 
Translation. 

Government Assessor, Lieutenant, Volunteer Automobile Corps, 
attached to 9th Cavalry Division, Breslau XVIII., Ahornallee 8a : — 
On the 20th August requisitioned 20 bottles of red wine from the farm 
of Mr. Auguste. 

On the 25th further via Somain-Lourche to Douchy, where I was 
first shot at together with the staff, and then, by myself, by francs- 
tireurs. Peculiar singing soimd of the flying bullets. Execution of 
nine inhabitants at Douchy . The lives of 1 2 others I saved by pleading 
for them. 

Original. 

Regierungsassessor, Leutnant im Freiwilligen Automobilkorps 
zugeteilt der IX. Kavallerie Division. Friedensadresse : Breslau 
XVIII., Ahornallee 8a. 

20. Aug. . . . — Requiriere unterwegs 20 Fl. Rotwein in der 
ferme des Herrn Auguste. 

25. Aug. — ^Weiter iiber Somain — Lourche — ^nach Douchy, wo von 
Franctireurs erst mit dem Stab, dann allein bcbchossen. Eigen- 
tiimliche Singen der fliegenden Kugehi. Hinrichtung von 9 Bewohnern 
von Douchy — 12 anderen rette ich durch Fiirsprache das Leben.^^ 



255 

Schilling. 
Translation. 
Lance Corporal (Reservist), 1st Squadron Brunswick Hussar Regi- 
ment, No. 17 : — Sunday, 9th Aug. Crossed the Belgian frontier. The 
inhabitants are very hostile . In the afternoon at 4 o'clock in Louveigne 
which has been completely biu-nt out and all inhabitants dead. . . . 
On the 10th Aug. — Belgium has surrendered, otherwise everything 
quiet. 

Original. 

Reservist Gefreiter, 1. Escadron, Braunschweiger Husaren Reg, 
No. 17 : — Sonntag d. 9. Aug. die belgische Grenze iiberschxitten. Die 
Einwohner sind sehr gehassig. Nachmittags 4 Uhr in Louveigne, 
welches voUstandig eingeaschert ist, sammtliche Einwohner sind 
tot ... 

10. Aug. — Belgien hat sich ergeben sonst ist alles ruhig. 

JOH. VAN DBR SCHOOT. 

Translation. 

Reservist of the 10th Company, 39th Reserve Infantry Regiment^ 
7th Reserve Army Corps : — 16 Aug., Liege. The villages we passed 

through had been destroyed In the night of the 17th to 

the 18th at Liege, 40 railway pioneers and 2 officers were killed, the 
houses were destroyed, otherwise the people are quiet, but only from 
fear. Aug. 19. In the morning at Utterich : Wynken, 10 o'clock, 
marched out ; quartered University. Afternoon, " gefiekt " * and 
boozed through the streets of Liege, lie on straw, enough booze, little 
food, or we must steal. 

Aug. 20th. — March out as escort for prisoners to Cologne (?), 
11 o'clock at Cologne, depart at 12.15. In the night the inhabitants 
of Liege became mutinous. Forty persons were shot and 15 -houses 
demoHshed, 10 soldiers shot. The sights here make you cry. 

Aug. 21st. — Everything quiet during the day ; in the night the 
soldiers were again fired on, we then demolished again several houses. 

On the 23rd August everything quiet. The inhabitants have so 
far given in. Seventy students were shot, 200 kept prisoners. Inhabi- 
tants returning to Liege. 

Aug. 24th. — At noon with 36 men on sentry dutj^ Sentry duty 
is A 1, no post allocated to me. Our occupation, apart from bathing, 
is eating and drinking. We live like God in Belgium. 

Original. 

Reservist 10. Co. 39. Reserve Inf. Regt., 7. Reserve Armee-Corps : — 

16. August, Liege. Die Dorfer wo wir durchzogen waren zerstort 

. . . In der Naeht vom 17. auf d. 18. in Liittich 40 Eisenbahner 

u. 2. Offiziere umgebracht, die Hauser wurden zerstort, das Volk ist 

sonst ruhig jedoch nur aus Angst. 

19. Aug. — Morgens Utterich Winken 10 Uhr Abmarsch. Ein- 
quartier Universitat. Nachmittags gefiekt und gesoffen dm-ch die 
Strassen von Liittich, hegen auf Stroh, zu Saufen genug, Essen wenig 
oder wir mil sen stehlen. 

20. Aug. — 10 Uhr Abmarsch zum Gefangentransport nach Koln (?), 
11 Uhr Ankunft in Koln. Abfahrt um 12. 15. In der Nacht wurde 
in Liittich die Bevolkerung auf standig ; 40 Personen wurden erschossen 
und 15 Hauser zerstort, 10 Soldaten erschossen ; es sieht zum Heuten 
hier aus. 

21. Aug. — Den Tag liber ist es ruhig, in der Nacht wurde wieder 
auf Soldafcen geschossen ; es wurden dann wieder verschiedene Hauser 
zerstort. 

* A coarse expression better left untranslated. 



256 

23. Aug. — Alles ruhig. Die Bevolkerung hat soweit gefiigt, 70 
Studenten wurden erschossen, 200 in Gefangenschaft behalten. Die 
Bevolkerung kehrt nach Liege zurlick. 

Aug. 24. — Mittags mit 36 Mann auf Wache, die Wache ist tadelos ; 
"bin zu keinen Posten eingeteilt. Baden, ausserdem essen u. trinken, 
ist unsere Tagesbeschaftigung, wir leben wie Gott in Belgien. 

W. SCHWEIGNER. 

Translation. 

Sharpshooter of the Reserve, 3rd Company, Guard Rifle Battalion : 
- — Sunday, 23rd Aug. Depart 4.30 in the morning through large 
"(coal-mining) towns ; friendly people, did us very well. 

24th Aug. — In Estirmes great booty, wine and so on. 

29th Aug. — [Between St. Quentm and Ham'] 5 o'clock ; beat the 
€nemy and took several villages. Many prisoners and dead on the 
side of the French ; plundered. 

Original. 

Schiitze d. Reserve, 3. Komp., Garde -Schiitzen Batl. 

Sontag 23.8. — Abmarsch morgens 4J Uhr durch grossere (Kohlen- 
revier) Stadte, freundliche Leute, gute Bewirtung. 

24/8. — Grosse Beute Wein (u. s w.) Estimes. 

29/8, — [Between St. Quentin and Ham.] Um 5 Uhr Feind gesch- 
iagen und Einnahme verschiedener Dorfer, viele Gefangene und Tote 
auf Seite der Franzosen. Pliindern. 

Hermann Bernhard Steinbach. 

Translation. 

Jager, 3rd Company, 25th Regiment, 27th Army Corps, 53rd 
Division : — Oct. 25th. [Whilst ivaiting for o^mhulance near Zonnebeke] 
I went to the window and suddenly saw Frenchmen in front of me. 
I said to my comrades " We are ca]Dtured." Quite right, a little while 
after we were captured. The Frenchmen are not, as has been stated, 
evil people, on the contrary very good ones. They have treated us 
perfectly. At 11 o'clock a shell from our artillery struck our house, 
but without doing any damage except a big hole in the house. We 
carried the wounded into the cellar. Great consternation. 

Original. 

Jager, 3. Komj)., 25. Regt., 53. Division, 27. Armeekorps, Kauf- 
mann, Adr. Limbach, Kreis : Chemnitz, Schlitzenstr. 12 : — 25.10.14 
[in Field Hospital, Zonnebeke, waiting to be fetched away in Ambulance]. 

Ich raffte mich auf und ging an das Fenster da seh ich auf einmal 
Franzosen vor mir, ich sagte zu meinen Kameraden wir sincl gefangen 
und richtig einige Zeit darauf waren wir gefangen, die Franzosen sind 
nicht wie gesagt wird schlechte Leute, im Gegenteil sehr gute. Sie 
haben uns tadelos (behandelt). Ganze Nacht im Granatfeuer, friih 11 
Uhr schlug in unser Haus eine Granate ein ; jedoch ohne Schaden 
anzurichten, nur grosses Loch im Haus. Die Verwundeten haben wir 
in den Keller geschafft, grosse Besttirzung. 

, Jager Tensetan. 

Translation. 

On the 15th August, from the village of Thynes, a priest is taken 
along because he rang the storm bell when we passed. In the next 
village a verger was also taken along. 



257 

23rd Aug. 1914. — We come through the large towii of Zar-sell. 
The inhabitants stand in the streets and give us whatever they have 
got. 

30th Aug. 1914. — The morning : marching off, destination un- 
knowai. We come through the garrison town of Noyon. We are 
shot at from the houses and a main bridge is blown up shortly before 
we came to it. We receive fire out of all the houses which lie in front 
of us. Immediately all the houses are entered and everything is 
turned topsy turvy. We came by accident into a hotel and everything 
that any of us could use was taken along, a steel watch falls into my 
hands. A baker shop is stormed and all shops are cleaned out. To-day 
we have a good day through this, as we eat what we like — ^biscuits, 
figs, chocolates, preserves, marmalade. . . . An English officer 
and four men were shot because he wanted to blow up a bridge, other- 
wise everything qviiet. 

1st Sept. 1914. — Soissons, Everything usable is taken along. 
Wine is literally treated like water. 

3rd Sept. 1914. — At 3 o'clock we pass the village of Varennes, 
where we are received with heavy fire, and the battalion has four dead 
and some wounded. Corpses are lying about everywhere in the 
street. 

6th Sept. 1914. — The village is set on fh'e because the civilians have 
also shot. 

Original. 

15.8.14. Im Dorfe Thynes wird ein PfafEe mitgenommen well er 
Sturm gelautet hat als wir durchkamen, im nachsten Dorfe ein Kirchen- 
diener. 

Sonntag, 23.8.14. — Wir kommen dann durch die grosse Stadt 
Ziu'-Sell. Die Leute stehen auf den Strassen und geben was sie haben. 

Sonntag, 30.8.14. — Morgens 7 Uhr Abmarsch, Ziel unbekannt. 
Wir kamen durch die Garnisonstadt Noyjoyn {sic ! for Noifon), wir 
werden aus den Hausern beschossen ; eine Hauptbrticke wird kurz 
vorm iiberschreiten gesprengt, wir bekommen Feuer aus sammtlichen 
Hausern die vor uns liegen. Sofort geht alles in clen Hausern {sic) 
und es wird alles umgewtihlt. Wir kommen zufallig in ein Hotel und 
es wird alles was jeder gebrauchen kann mitgenommen. Mir fallt 
dabei eine Stahl Uhr in den Handen {sic), es wird eine Backerei ges- 
tlirmt und alle Laden werden ausgeraumt. Heut haben wir einen 
guten Tag dadurch, denn wir essen was wir wollen : Zwiback, Feigen, 
Chocolade, Conserven, Marmelade. . . . Ein Englisher Offizier 
mit 4 Mann wird erschossen weil er eine Briicke in die Luft sprengen 
wollte, sonst verlauft alles ruhig. 

1.9.14, Soissons. . . . Es wird alles brauchtbare mitgenommen. 
Wein wird direckt wie Wasser behandelt. 

3.9.14. — Um 3 Uhr passieren wir das Dorf Varennes, wo wir mit 
sharfem Feuer empfangen werden. Das Batl. hat. dabei 4 Tote und 
einige Verwundete. Leichen liegen auf der Strasse uberall umher. 

6.9.14. — Das ganze Dorf wird in Brand gestochen {sic) weil Zivie- 
listen mitgeschossen haben. 



Book belonging to Westphal. 

Translation. 

No Clmstian name. Address : Minhaus District, Oldenburg, 
Holstein : — About 7th or 8th Aug. [Probably just over the Belgian 
Jro7itier] I had supper in a butcher's shop ; fried brains. The people 
are extremely nice and obliging ; cigarettes and tobacco are very 
cheap here. It w^as very jolly this evening in our stable. Some are 
drinking champagne because a bottle does not cost much. 

z 



258 

10th Aug. [near Bastogne]. — A ganger on the railway sljot at our 
cycHsts, but without effect. He was killed by a sergeant-major. In 
addition, a civiHan was also shot down who attacked patrol. He 
was burnt with his property. The roads were constantly blocked 
by enormous felled trees. The inhabitants had to remove these 
under threats of revolvers. In the deep cellars of the convent the 
smart riflemen found a lot of wine. Unfortunately, the captain 
objected. 

14th Aug., Braibant. — What did not come of its own accord was 
plundered — fowls, eggs, milk, pigeons, calves. Many jolly happenings 
dm-ing the plundering. 

19th Aug.— In the evening we had nothing to do and lived like 
" Landsknechte." One section cooked and roasted, others smoked 
and played cards. The time passed very pleasantly. 

20th Aug. — The cavahy and the Marburg Jagers ravaged terribly 
in the surrounding villages. 

_25th Aug., Beailmont ( ? ) . — The inhabitants had cleared out. Some 
regiments of infantry marauded frightfully. 

26th Aug., Wednesday. — In the village a dairy establishment was 
plundered. Several hundreds of cheeses were requisitioned. 

3rd Sept., Thiu-sday. — Crossed the Marne. A fine town, remained 
for the night. We broke open a dwelling-house ; \the name of a soldier 
illegible'] and I captured food of all descriptions and other things. 
Much champagne also was captured. 



Original. 

Adr. : Minhaus, Kjreis Oldenburg in Holstein. [About 7th or 8th 
Aug., having crossed frontier into Belgium on the Qth] : — In einer Schlach- 
terei habe ich Abendbrot gegessen Gehirn gebraten. Die Leute ausserst 
nett und zuvorkommen. Cigaretten u. Taback ist hier ausserst billig. 
In unserem Pferdestall gehts heute Abend sehr viedel zu. Einige 
ti-inken Seckt, denn Flasche nur wenig kosten. 

Montag, 10. Aug. (near Bastogne). — . . . Ausserdem wurde 
von einem Bahnwarter auf unsere Radfahrer geschossen ohne Erfolg. 
Er wmxle vom Feldw. d. R. K. niedergestreckt. Ausserdem wurde 
noch ein Civilist niedergeschossen, der eine Patrouille angriff, und mit 
seinem Eigentum verbrannt. . . . Unterwegs waren dauernd die 
Wege mit riesigen abgeschlagenen Baumen versperrt. Einwohner 
mussten dieselben mit vorgehaltener Pistole wegraumen. , . . 
Im tiefen Klosterkeller wussten denn auch gleich die gewandten 
Schiitzen eine Menge Wein aufzuspiiren. Leider legte sich unser 
Haupt clagegen auf. 

Ereitag 14, Braibant. — Was nicht freiwillig kam wurde geraubert, 
Hiihner, Eier, Milch, Tauben, Kalber. Viele viedele Sachen beim 
raubern. 

Mittwoch d. 19.8. — Abends batten wir vollstandig frei fiihrten ein 
Leben wie die Landsknechte. Ein Teil kochte und briet, andere 
rauchten u. spielten Karten und die Zeit verging guter Laune. 

Donnerstag, 20.8. — Kavallerie u. Marburger Jager hausen sehr in 
den umliegenden Dorfern. 

Dienstag, 25.8.14, Beailmont (?). — Die Bewohner waren ausgeriickt, 
Einige Infanterie Reg. marodirten machtig. 

Mittwoch, 26.8.14. — In dem Dorfe wiu-de noch eine Molkerei 
geraubert. Mehrere hundert Kase wurden requiriert. 

Donnerstag, 3.9.14. — Ueber die Marne. Eine vornehme Stadt, 
blieb fiir die Nacht Quartier. , . . Wir erbrachen eine Wohnung. 
— (?) u. ich erbeuteten Esswaren aller Art und sonstiges. . . . 
Viel Seckt ist auch erbeutet worden. 



259 



Wetzel. 
Translation. 

Bombardier, 2nd Mounted Battery, 1st Kurhessian Field Artillery, 
Regiment No. 11 : — Aug. Sth. First fight and set fii'e to several 
villages. 

Aug. 9th. — Returned to old quarters ; there we searched all the 
houses and shot the maj^or [this is iyi France], and shot one man down 
from the chimney pot, and then we again set fire to the village. 

On the 18th August Letalle (?) captured 10 men with three priests 
because they have shot doAvn from the church tower. They were 
brought into the village of Ste. Marie. 

Oct. 5th. — We were in quarters in the evening at Willekamm. 
Lieut. Radfels was quartered in the mayor's house and there had 
two prisoners (tied together) on a short whip, and in case anything 
happened they were to be killed. 

{In neighhottrhood of Lille] on the 11th of October. — ^We had no 
fight, but we caught about 20 men and shot them. 

Original. 

Kanonier, 2. reitende Batterie, 1. Kurh. Feldart. Regt. 11 : — 

8. August, das erste Gefecht, und mehrere Dorfer in Brande 
gesteckt. 

9. — ^Arlarmirt und clann wieder in das alte Quartier. Da haben 
wir sammtliche Hauser abgesucht und den Biirgermeister erschossen 
und einen fon Schornstein herausgeschossen und dann wieder das 
Dorf angesteckt. 

18.8. — Letalle (?) 10 Mann gefangen mit 3 Pfarrer, da sie fam 
Kirchturm herab geschossen haben, wurden in das Dorf St., Maria 
gebracht. 

Am 5. October. — (Willekamm) waren wir Abend in Quartier und 
Leutnannt Radfels war beim Biirgermeister Winquartiert und hate 
da zwei Sefangne an einer Geisel im Falle es passirte Was wiu'den sie 
gedoted. 

Am 11. Ocktober [near Lille] kein Gefecht gehabt aber zirka 20 
Mann gefangen wiu-den erschossen. 

(Very illiterate person.) 

No. 3. 
Translation. 

Corporal of the Reserve Kase, Second Regiment of Uhlans.. 
Gardelegen, Altmark. Entry, 17th August : — " We belong to the 
7th Corps, 14th Infantry Division, " Lieut. -General v. Flech's Corps, 
Commander v, Biilow." :^0n the 8th Aug. at 10. Crossed Belgian 
frontier then rested 1 km. from Salem, where a country seat was 
completely robbed of its wine, so that we got into a good humour. 
Here we lay about four hours near the place Montrier, where we cleared 
out an ammunition factory. 

9th Aug. — Departed in a southerly direction towards Renny.. 
Here the 2nd squadron had ravaged fearfully as they had been shot 
at out of all the houses. Many houses burnt down. 

11th Aug. [Liege]. — We lay in the barracks and did not know what 
we should do for sheer high spirits.' Some played the mouth organ — 
others drummed on cooking pots, others sang and whistled, and in 
addition we had a continuous supply of wine and champagne. 

19th Aug. — Could not find regiment and remained with ammu- 
nition column. Then when we halted, plundered a villa ; had much 
wine. 



260 

22nd Aug. — Bivouac near Anderleus. Ravaged terribly ; fed 
magnificently. 

26th Aug. — 6 p.m., we went into bivouac. As invariably, the 
surrounding houses were immediately plundered. We found four 
rabbits, roasted them, dined splendidly ; plates, cups, knives and forks, 
glasses, &c. Drank 11 bottles of champagne, four bottles of wine, 
and six bottles liqueur. 

27th Aug. — 6.30 p.m., marched out. Everyone still well loaded 
with wine and champagne bottles. 

28th Aug. — ^Arrived in St. Quentin, had to bivouac in the market 
place. Emptied the houses ; carried the beds on to the square and 
slept on them. Drank coffee like noblemen.* 

No. 3. 
Original. 
Grefr. d. Reserve Kase, 2. U. R., Gardelegen, Altmark : — 
[17. Aug. — Wir gehoren zum 7. Corps, 14 Inf. Div., Gen, Lt. v. 
Fleck, Corpsfiihrer v. Biilow.] 

8. Aug. — Um 10 Uhr die Belgische Grenze passirt, lagen dann 1 k. 
vor Salem, wo ein Schloss total vom Wein gepliindert wurde, sodass 
wir in gute Laune kamen. Hier lagen wir zirka 4 Std. dicht an dem 
Orte Montrier, wo wir eine Waffenfabrik ausraumten. 

9. Aug. — 7 Uhr ausgeriickt in siidlicher Richtung auf Renny. 
Hier hatte die 2. Eskdr. furchtbar gehaust, da sie aus alien Hausern 
Feuer bekommen. Viele Hauser sind niedergebrannt. 

11. Aug. [Liege]. — Lagen nochin der Kaserne, wussten aus iibermut 
nicht was wir anfangen sollten, Etliche spielten Mmidharmonika 
andere trommelten auf Kochtopfen, wieder andere sangen oder pfifEen, 
dazu kam immer Zufuhr an Wein u. Seckt, 

19. Aug. — Konnten das Regiment nicht finden, blieben bei der 
Munitionskollonne. Haben dann, als wir halt machten, eine Villa 
gepliindert, viel Wein gehabt. 

22. Aug.— Biwack bei Anderleus, Furchtbar gehaust, grossartig 
gespeist. 

26. Aug. — Um 6 Uhr bezogen wir Biwack. Wie immer wiirden 
gleich die umliegenden Hauser gepliindert. Fanden 4 Kaninchen, 
gebraten. Grossartig diniert. Teller, Tassen, Bestecke, Glaser u, s, w. 
11 Fl. Seckt, 4 Fl. Wein und 6 Fl. Lickor getrunken, 

27. Aug. — "I 7 Uhr ausgeriickt, Alles noch mit Wein- und Seckt- 
flaschen versehen. 

28. Aug. — " St Quenthin (Senkenteng) " [sic] Mussten auf dem 
Marktplatz biwackieren. Hauser ausgeraumt, Betten auf den Platz 
getragen und drauf geschlafen. Nobel Kaffee getrunken. 

No. 14. 
Translation. 

[No 7iame ; no address.] 

9th Aug. [near MiiJilhausen]. — At 2 o'clock (a.m.) we are again 
fired on from the village ; we get our rifles ready, but do not shoot, 
as it is reported that they are troops of the 114th Regiment who take 
us for Frenchmen. By blowing German bugle signals and singing 
the " Wacht am Rhein " we finally put some sense into these fellows, 
and they stop shooting. 

10th Aug. — Now we moved off- to Miilhausen. There is a great 
reception by the inhabitants, who receive their old 112th Regiment 
with cheers. Hardly, however, have we been in the barracks an hour 
when violent rifle and machine gun fire comes from all corners of the 
toAvn. We fall in and one company of the regiment is detached to 

* 2 



261 

search the town, but after about half an hour the noise decreases 
and we fall out again. The infantry which searched the town found 
houses in which there were still 40 to 50 Frenchmen, chiefly with 
the priests. The soldiers {French) said that they had not been 
informed when their own people left. The next morning we get the 
order that civilians with whom Frenchmen are found in liiding are 
to be shot immediately. That was probably the best means to bring 
the partly still very Francophile inhabitants to their senses, because, 
as we now heard, when the French marched in they were greeted 
with cheers of " Vive la France " and bouquets of flowers were thrown 
to their officers. No wonder they fancied themselves as masters. 

20th Aug. — Saarburg suddenly seems to come to life again. Out 
of all windows and attic openings Frenchmen who have remained 
behind fire on the Bavarians who are passing through. As the search- 
ing of the houses had involved unnecessary danger, we vacate the 
town, and the battery just referred to wheels round and fires round 
after round into the houses ; always the best means to clear the 
houses because generally there are none left after that. 

No. 14. 

Original. 
{Nameless. 1 

9. Aug. [near Midhausen]. — Gegen 2 Uhr (a.m.) erhalten wir 
wieder Feuer aus dem Dorf. Wir bringen die Gewehre in Stellung 
schiessen aber nicht da gemeldet wird das es Truppen des Regt. 114 
sind, welche uns flir Franzosen halten. Durch blasen deutscher 
Singnale und singen der Wacht am Rhein kommen die Kerle encllich 
zur Vernunft und stellen das Feuern ein. 

10. Aug. — Jetzt riicken wir ab nach Miilhausen. Dort grosser 
Empfang durch die Einwohner, welche ihre aiten 112er mit Jubel 
begrilssen. Kaum sind wir 1 Stunde in der Kaserne als von alien 
Ecken der Stadt heftiges Gewehr und M. G. Feuer ertont. Wir 
treten wieder an. Das Regt. schickt Komp. fort zum Durchsuchen 
der Stadt. Nach etwa einer halben Stunde lasst der Larm nach — 
wir treten wieder weg. Die Inftr. welche die Stadt durchsuchte 
•fand Hauser in denen noch 40-50 Franzosen waren. Vornehmlich 
bei Geistlichen. Die Soldaten erklarten man hatte sie nicht benach- 
richtigt als die Franzosen abgeriickt seien. Am andern Tag kommt 
der Erlass dass Zivilpersonen bei denen noch versteckte Franz, 
•gefunden wiirden sofort erschossen. Das war wohl das beste Mittel 
die teilweise noch sehr franzosen freuncllichen Einwohner zur Vernunft 
zu bringen. Denn wie man jetzt erfuhr wurde beim Einmarsch der 
Franz. Vive la France gerufen und den Offizieren Blumenstrausse 
2iugeworfen. Kein Wuncler wenn die sich gleich als Herren flihlten. 

20. August. — In Saarburg wird es auch wieder lebendig, aus alien 
Fenstern und Dachlucken schiessen die zuriickgebliebenen Franz, 
auf die durchziehenden Bayern. Da ein Durchsuchen der Hauser 
nur unnotige Opfer gekostet hatte wird die Stadt geraumt. Die eben 
erwahnte Battr. macht kehrt und Salve um Salve kracht in die Hauser 
hinein, Immer das beste Mittel zur Sauberung der Hauser den 
nieistens sind nachher keine mehr da. 

No. 19. 

Translation. 

\The*writer of the diary was in the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment See Plate 11 
of the Guards. The German Army List for June 1914 gives the names ^* P- ^^^* 
of five of six officers referred to in a note under Aug. 24:th as belonging 
to the Guards, viz., Lt. von Oppen, Graf. Eulenberg, Capt. von Boeder, 
1st Lt. Engelbrecht, 1st Lt. von Bock und Pollack, Lt. Graf Hardenberg. 



262 

No name. No address. A blue book interleaved with blottinf paper. 1 
24th Aug. 1914. — In front of village of Ermeton we took about 
a thousand prisoners. At least 500 were shot. The village was 
burnt because the inhabitants also had shot. Two civilians were 
shot at once. While searching a hoiise for beds we had an exce^D- 
tionally good feed — bread, wine, butter, jelly, preserved fruits, and 
many other things, were our booty. ... we washed ourselves 
from the blood, cleaned the bayonets. ... In the evening we 
got into our quarters — the best up to now — plenty of clean linen — 
preserved things, wine, salted meat and cigars. 

5th Sept. 1914. — Received news that Denmark had declajed war 
on Germany. Englishmen are already on the Danish frontier. 

No. 19. 

Original. 

[No name.] 

See Plate 11 24/S. Vor einem Dorfe Ermeton. . . . An Gefangenen machten 

at p. 296. -^^j. iQQQ J Gefangene mindesten 500 erschossen. Dorfe wurde weil 

auch Einwohner schossen in Brand gesteckt. 2 Civilisten wurden 

gleich erschossen. Beim Durchsuchen eines Hauses nach Betten 

assen wir uns nach Herzenslust satt Brot, Wein, Butter, Chilleej 

eingemachte Friichte und nocli vieles mehr waren unser Mundraub. 

. . . Wir wuschen uns von clem Blute, reinigten die Seitengewehre. 

. . Abends kamen wir ins Quartier das beste bis jetzt. Heine 

Wasche reichlich, eingemachte Sachen, Wein, Fleisch gesalz. unci 

Cigarren. 

5/9. Nachricht class Danemark an Deutschland Kjieg erklart, 
Englander sind bereitz an cler Danischen Grenze. 

No. 21. 
Franz Moker (?) 
Translation. 

[No description.] 

[As a guide to locality the ivriter says he passes through Waterloo 
on the 2lst August.] 

19th Aug. 1914, Wednesday. — About midday we arrived in a 
village which had been terribly ravaged. Houses burnt ; every- 
thing broken to pieces ; bellowing animals which were wandering 
about the streets, and inhabitants who had been shot. A company 
of the Infantry Regiment No. 75, who had encamped not far from 
the village the previous night was attacked by the inhabitants and 
carried through a massacre. 69 brave soldiers were killed or wounded. 
As a punishment the village in question was completely wiped out. 

20th Aug. — We passed again through villages where the inhabitants 
had been shooting, and the usual punishment had been inflicted. 

No. 21. 
Original. 

19/3/14. Gegen Mittag kamen wir in ein Dorf das schrecklich 
verwtistet war. Havisser abgebrannt, Alles entzwei geschlagen, 
brullendes Vieh das verlassen auf den Strassen umherirrte luid 
erschossene Einwohner. Eine Kompagnie des Inf. Regiments No. 
75, die in cler vorhergehenclen Nacht nicht weit vom Dorfe biyakirte, 
wurde von den Bewohnern iiberf alien und richtete ein Blutbacl an. 
69 brave Soldaten wurden getotet oder verwundet. Zur Strafe wurde 
das betreffende Dorf vernichtet. 

20/8. Wir kamen wiederum durch Dorfer, wo die Einwohner 
geschossen hatten. Die tibliche Strafe war eingetreten. 



I 



263 

No. 27. 
Translation. 

[Name and address of ivriter not ajjparent.] 

Mondaj^ 19th Oct. 1914.^ — A short distance from our position 
I hear the following has been announced by the regiment. Holland 
has declared war on the English, Italy on the French, and America 
on the Japanese. Whether this is confirmed nobody knows, but 
anyhow there was great cheering. 

Tuesday, 20th Oct. 1914. — In the morning I heard that the houses 
next door were empty, (occupiers) partly emigrated, partl}^ shot, in 
which [houses) therefore Sergeant-Major Nuss and his comrades acted 
as the masters of the house and took several things along with them, 
especially eatables and bicycles as it had been a cycle shop. . . . 
In the fields, in the gardens, and in the houses there were 60 dead 
francs- tireurs who had shot at our Jagers. On the right-hand side 
there was a grave of six Jagers, one non-commissioned officer, and 
five men. On a post a cap and frog indicated this, several others 
of this picket of Jagers on cycles were wounded. They are said to 
have been shot at from the roofs with machine guns By accident 
a 12-year-old girl was also shot, otherwise priests and other people. 
Franctireur rifles which had been rendered useless were lying about. 
A mill in flames which had been going round as our troops moved. 
The proprietor had fled. Several other houses were also still burning. 
— rest were fired towards evening. 

21st Oct. 1914. — The farm building to the left was empty. Several 
cheeky comrades went into it and plundered what there was — fruit, 
milk, corned beef ; ca.ught hares, fowls, ducks, and speared them 
with their bayonets and held them over an open fire until the colonel 
forbade it. 

On Friday, 23rd Oct. 1914, early, written in the trenches. — About 
4 in the morning the Red Cross company came along, which in spite 
of calling out and whistling were fired on again and again by our own 
troops. 

No. 27. 

Original. 

Montag d. 19. Oct. 14. Ein Stuck vom Stellplatz WHrde wie ich 
hdrte, durchs Regiment bekannt gemacht, dass Holland dem 
Englandern, ItaHen den Franzosen, Amerika den Japanern den Krieg 
erklarten. Ob es bestatigt ist, weiss, niemancl, aber trotzdem war 
allgemein ein Hallo. 

Am Dienstag den 20. Oct. 1914. Fruh horte ich, dass Hauser 
nebenan leer standen, teils ausgewandert, teils erschossen waren, worin 
deswegen Feldw. Nuss u. Kameraden die Herren im Hause spielten u. 
Verschiedenes mitnahmen, vor alien Essbares u. Rader, da Fahrrad- 
handlg gewesen. . . . Auf Feldern, in Garten u. Hausern lagen 60 
tote Franktireur, die unsere Jager beschossen hatten, auf der rechten 
Seite ein Grab von sechs Jager, ein Unteroflz., 5 Mann ; auf Pfahl, 
Kopfbedeckung u. Trottel, wiesen darauf hin, mehrere andere von 
dieser Spitze von Jagern auf Radern wurden verwundet, sie sollen von 
Dachern herunter mit Maschinengewehren beschossen word en sein. 
Versehentlich wurde ein 12-jahriges Madchen mit erschossen, sonst 
Pfaffen u. andere Personen. Unbrauchgemachte Franktireurgewehre 
sah man liegen, eine Mlihle brennen, die sich drehte, wie unsere Truppen 
sich bewegten. Der Besitzer war geflohen. Biv. andere Hauser 
standen ebenfalls noch in Flammen, bezw. gegen Abend noch in Brand 
gesetzt. 

21. Oct. . . . Das Gehoft links da von stand leer. Verschie- 
dene dreiste Kameraden gingen hinein u. rauberten, was es gab, Obst 



264 

Milch, Pockelfleisch, fingen Hasen, Huhner, Enten ; spiessen sie an 
Seiten-Gewehr und hielten sie liber offnes Feuer, bis es vom Oberst 
verboten wurde. 

Am Freitag den 23. Okt. 14, fruh im Schiitzengraben geschrieben. 
Etwa friih 4 Uhr kam die Sanitatskomp., die trotz zurufen u. pfeifen 
von eigenen Truppen immer u. immer wieder beschossen wurde. 



No. 29. 
Translation. 

[The writer is evidently a lieutenant in command of a platoon. Name 
and address unknown.'] 

On 20 til October marched on to Dadizeele. The first impression one 
got of the war was hardly beautiful. Several houses had been burned 
down because the inhabitants fired on our troops. The bread we 
found was said to be poisoned. . . . The artillery began again. 
In a village in front of us the francs-tireurs had been again at their old 
game, and soon a farm building was on fire. Suddenly 1st Lieutenant 
Reimann, who had remained behind with his 9th Company to cover 
the artillery, came and said that he had just had a fight with francs- 
tireurs in the village through which we had marched two hours ago. 
Regiment 244 was also present. Some inhabitants were shot, but 
Regiment 244 also had to mourn the loss of one man. About four 
farm buildings were set on fire. The night was brightly illuminated by 
burning houses in front and behind us. We turned back, being 
drenched to the skin, and looked for quarters, opening the doors with 
axes and searching the houses from top to bottom. 

23rd Oct. 1914.— Some aviators flew over us and several infantry 
buUets whistled over our heads. It was assumed that they came from 
francs-tireurs. A house was burnt down and some people locked up. 
In advancing I saw a terrible picture. In the meadow lay a man 
and his wife dead — clearly the parents of a child of about five years 
wandering about wounded. I would have liked to have taken the 
poor youngster into safety, but duty called me to lead my men on. 
The child cried pitiably. All houses round about us were burning — 
probably also the home of the child. 

Original. 

No. 29. 

The writer is evidently a lieutenant in command of a platoon : — 
October. — Am 20. 8 IJhr weiter marschiert nach Dadizeele. Der 
erste Eindruck, den man vom Kriege bekam, war nicht gerade schon. 
Mehrere Hauser waren niedergebrannt, da die Einwohner gegen unsere 
Truppen geschossen hatten. Das gefunclene Brot sollte vergiftet 
sein . . . Die Artillerie setzte wieder ein. In einem Hofe vor 
uns waren wieder Franktireurs rebellisch geworden und bald brannte 
ein Gehoft. Plotzlich kam Obi. Reimann, cler mit seiner 9. Komp, 
zur Art.-Bedeckung zuriickgeblieben war und sagte, soeben hatte 
er einen Kampf mit Franktireurs gehabt in dem Dorfe clurch das wir 
vor 2 Stunden marschiert waren. Reg. 244 war auch dabei. Einige 
Bewohner wurden erschossen, doch hatte auch Reg. 244 den Verlust 
von 1 Mann zu beklagen. Ca. 4 Gehofte gingen in Flammen auf, die 
Nacht war hell erleuchtet. So brannte es vor und hinter uns . . 
Wir kehrten, nachdem wir von dem Regen vollig durchnasst waren, 
um und suchten uns Quartier, indem wir mittels Beilen die Tliren 
olfneten, die Hauser von oben bis unten durchsuchten. 

23.10. — Etliche Flieger tiberflogen uns und mehrere Inf. Geschosse 
zischten liber unsere Kopfe hinweg. Man nahm an es seien Schiisse 
von Franktireurs. Ein Haus wurde niedergebrannt, einige Leute 



265 

eingesperrt. . . . Beim Vorspringen sah ich ein Bild des Ent- 
setzens. Auf der Wiese iagen ein Mann und eine Frau tot, offenbar 
die Eitern eines iimheiirrenden verwundeten Kindes von 5 Jahren. 
Gern hittte ich das arme Wurm in Sicherheit gebrachte, aber die 
Ptiicht rief mich, meine Leute vorzubringen. Das Kind weinte 
jammerlich, samtliche Hauser um uns herum brannten, wahrscheinlich 
audi dessen Wohnstatte. 

No. 30. 

Translation. 

[Loose leaves from a diary. No name, no address.] 

25th Sept. 1914, Lehan. — In excursions through the town all sorts 

of extraordinary things were brought to light, for instance, our whole 

{carriage load ?)* was fitted out with slippers, then came under-shirts, 

towels, sweaters, &c., and so on. 

No.30. 

Original. 

25.9.14, Lehan. — Auf Streifziigen durch die Stadt wurden die 
imdenkUchsten Sachen zutage gefordert, z. B. wurde unser ganzes 
Kuppee (?) mit Hausschuhen versehen. Dann wurden Unterhemden 
Handtiicher, Sweaters u. s. w. eingeholt. 

No. 32. 
Translation. 

Apparently the diary of a very highly educated man, written on leaves 
of a commercial order hook. No name or address of writer. Evidently 
some pages missing at the end. 

13th Sept. 1914, Dolhain [close of frontier.] — The inhabitants are, 
to our surprise, courteous, some even friendly. 

14th Sept. 1914. — Wake up in Tirlemont on the way to 
Lou vain. Many houses destroyed. In Lou vain, what a sad scene ! 
all the houses surrounding the railway station completely destroyed — 
only some foundation walls still standing. In the station square 
cajDtured guns. At the end of the main street the town hall, which 
has been completely preserved with all its beautiful turrets ; a sharp 
contrast. 180 inhabitants are stated to have been shot after they 
had dug their ov,ni graves. 

On the 16th Sept. 1914, just behind Mons. — Here also again, 
innumerable houses have been destroyed, and the population looks 
bitter and scowling. 

No. 32. 

OriginaL 

13.9. — Dolhain [close to frontier]. Bevolkerung zu unserm Erstau- 
nen zuvorkommend, zum Teil sogar freundlich. 

14.9. — Erwachen in Tirlemont auf dem Wege nach Lowen. Viel- 
fach zerstorte Hauser. Und nun in Lowen. Welch ein trauriger 
Anblick. Alle Hauser in der Umgebung des Bahnhofes vellstandig 
zerstort. Einzelne Grundmauern nur ragen ncch auf. Auf dem 
Bahnhofplatze eroberte Geschiitze. Am Ende der Hauptstrasse das 
vollkommen erhalten gebliebene Rathaus mit all seinen prachtigen 
Tiirmchen. Ein lo-asser Gegensatz. 180 Einwohner sollen, nachdem 
sie sich selbst ihr Grab geschaufelt hatten, erschossen worden sein. 

16.9. — Hinter Mons. Hier sind auch v.deder unzahlige Hauser' 
zerstort und die Bevolkerung schaut verbittert und finster drein. 

* May refer to railway compartment, but the word is very indistinct. 



266 



No. 33. 
Translation. 
[No name of writer ; addressed to brother-in-Iaiv :] — " You wrote 
about the Belgians. They have themselves to thank that their countrj^ 
has been laid waste in this way. I have seen all the large towns like 
Vise and the villages behind it in flames. In Tongres we were in the 
evening, when it was dark, also attacked by the inhabitants. There 
was a tremendous exchange of fire, because we were fired on from 
four sides. Fortunately only one man was injured. He died the 
following day. We had shot two w^omen, and the men were shot the 
following day." 

No. 33. 
Original. 

[Unfinished letter addressed to brother-in-law :] — 

Du schreibst von die Belgier, dieselben haben sich es selbst zuzus- 
chreiben das ihr Land so verwlistet ist. Die grosse Stadte wie Viese 
und die Dorfer clahinter habe ich alle in Flammen gesehen. In Tongres 
sind wir Abends wie es dunkel war auch von der Bevolkerung ange- 
griffen worden, es Avar ein machtiger Kugelwechsel, denn v/ir bekamen 
von 4 Seiten Feuer, und wie zum Gllick war nur 1 angeschossen, 
welcher am nachsten Tag gestorben ist. Wir hatten 2 Fraueii 
erschossen und die Manner wurde am nachsten Tage erschossen. 



No. 38. 
Translation. 

Evidently, originally, the cash book of a waitress noAned Marie 

F near Eiksheini (Alsace) : ] — When we entered Riksheim on 

the 10th August, at 1 o'clock in the morning, after the storm we had 
asked the inhabitants whether there were any more French left in the 
houses, so everybody said " no," and gave us drink. When we wanted 
to go to rest, suddenly there were shots from all houses. The regiment 
had heavy losses : many officers and a general of the 84th Brigade fell. 

22nd Aug. — We marched into the French village of Sarburg. Here 
the soldiers had plundered. Whatever there was to eat was taken 
along. On the 23rd and 24th August there were great fights. We 
had heavy losses, and the French artillery also had heavy losses. 
Here wounded Frenchmen had again shot on Red Cross assistants^ 
then came the order that no more prisoners were to be made. 

No. 38. 
Original. 

[No name, 7io address ; originally a cash book of a ivaitress named 

Marie F , near Ricksheim [Alsace) :] — ^Als wir am 10. August 

morgens 1 Uhr nach dem Sturm durch R-icksheim zogen hatten wir 
die Einwohner gefragt ob in den Hauser noch Franzosen sind, da sagte 
alles nein und gab uns zu trinken. Und alls wir zur Ruhe ubergehen 
W'Ollen da knalte es auf einmal aus alen Hausern raus ; das Regiment 
hate shwere Verluste, viele Offiziere und ein General der 84. Briegad© 
ist gef alien. 

22. August. — Wir marschirten in die Franzosische Ortschaft 
Sarburg, hier habe die Soldaten gepltindert, was zu essen war wurde 
mitgenommen. Am 23.-24. August waren grosse Gefechte ; wir 
hatten schv/ere Verluste, die Franzosische Atelire hate auch schwere 
Verluste ; hier hatte ver^vundette Franzossen wieder auf Sanitatsge- 
hilfen geschossen, dann kam der Befehl es werden keine Gefangene 
gemacht. 



267 



Tkanslation forwarded by Professor Morgan of Extracts from a 

Diary in the Possession of the French Military Authorities. 

Extracts from the field notebook of an officer in the 178th Regi- 
ment, Xllth (Saxon) Corps : — ■ 

" August 17th. — In the afternoon I had a look at the little chateau 
belonging to one of the King's secretaries (not at home). Our men 
liad behaved like regular vandals. They had looted the cellar first, 
and then they had turned their attention to the bedrooms and thrown 
things about all over the place. They had even made fruitless efforts 
to smash the safe open. Everything was topsy-turvy — magnificent 
furniture, silk, and even china. That's what happens when the men 
are allowed to requisition for themselves. I am sure they must have 
taken away a heap of useless stuff simply for the pleasure of looting." 

'■ August 23rd. — .... Our men came back and said that at the 
point where the valley joined the Meuse we could not get on any 
further as the villagers v/ere shooting at us from every house. We shot 
the whole lot — 16 of them. They were drawn up in three ranks ; the 
same shot did for three at a time. 

■■ Two 6-inch howitzers succeeded in getting into position, and in 
20 shots reduced the village of Bou vines to ruins. The 8th Company 
then entered the village. We took up a position in a house overlooking 
the Meuse. At the door I stepped over the body of the owner. The 
men had akeacly shown their brutal instincts ; everything was upside 
down. 

"It is probable that the high ground opposite was only weakly 
lield, as we didn't see a single Frenchman. 

" The sight of the bodies of all the inhabitants who had been shot 
was indescribable. Everj^ house in the whole village was destroyed. 
We dragged the villagers one after another out of the most unlikely 
corners. The men were shot as well as the women and children who 
were in the convent, since shots had been fired from the convent 
windows ; and we burnt it afterwards. 

'■ The inhabitants might have escaped the ]penalty by handing 
over the guilty and paying 15,000 francs. 

'■ The losses in our regiment (30 killed and many wounded) were 
caused chiefly by villagers who shot at us from the houses. The men 
were absolutely mad at this sneaking way of fighting. They wanted 
to burn everything, and they succeeded, too, in setting light to several 
houses. In the afternoon our artillerj^ fairly sprinlded the principal 
buildings in the place, the whole length of the village, with incendiary 
shells. It was a marvellous sight, the high ground from Dinant to 
Leppe (?), overlooking the Meuse, all in flames. Every building was 
burning. The reflection of the fire made the waters of the Meuse run 
red as blood. It was almost as light as day, and helped our sappers to 
build a bridge." 

■' August 26th. — We marched to Nismes. After passing Merle- 
mont we came to Villers-en-Fagne. The inhabitants had warned the 
French of the arrival of our troops by a signal from the church tower. 
The enemy's guns opened on us and killed and wounded quite a 
few. So in the evening we set fire to the village ; the priest and some 
of the inhabitants were shot. 

" We passed through Pettigny and Couvin. Couvin had been 
partially looted. We reahed Bruly and crossed the Belgian frontier. 
The villages all around were on fire. We billeted at Gue d'Ossus, the 
first French village that was burnt. 

" The inhabitants fired on our men again. The division took 
drastic steps to stop the -villages being burnt and the inhabitants being 
shot. The x^retty little village of Gue d'Ossus, however, was apparently 
set on fire without cause. A cyclist fell off his machine and his rifle 



268 

went off. He immediately said he had been shot at. AH the in- 
habitants were burnt in the houses. I hope there will be no more such 
horrors. 

" At Leppe apparently 200 men were shot. There must have been 
some innocent men among them. In future we shall have to hold an 
inquiry as to their guilt instead of shooting them. 

" In the evening we marched to Maubert-Fontaine. Just as we 
were having our meal the alarm was sounded — everyone is very 
jumpy. 

" September 3rd. — Still at Rethel, on guard over prisoners. . . . 
The houses are charming inside. The middle class in Erance has 
magnificent furniture. We found styhsh pieces everywhere and 
beautiful silk, but in what a state 1 . . . Good God ! . . . 
Every bit of furniture broken, mirrors smashed. The Vandals them- 
selves could not have done more damage. This place is a disgrace to 
our army. The inhabitants who fled could not have expected, of 
course, that all their goods would have been left intact after so many 
troops had passed. But the column commanders are responsible for 
the greater part of the damage, as they oculd have prevented the • 
looting and destruction. The damage amounts to millions of marks ; 
even the safes have been attacked. 

" In a solicitor's house, in which, as luck would have it, all was in 
excellent taste, including a collection of old lace and Eastern works 
of art, everything was smashed to bits. 

" I could not resist taking a little memento myself here and there. 
. . . One house was particularly elegant, everything in the best 
taste. The hall was of light oak ; I found a splendid aquascutum 
under the staircase and a camera for Felix." 



I 



APPENDIX C. 

PROCLAMATIONS. 

Proclamation Distributed on the 4th August 1914, at Warsage 
(on the road from Aix-la-Chapelle to Vise.)* 

To the Belgian Nation : ' 

I regret very much to find that German troops are compelled to 
cross the frontier of Belgium. They are constrained to do so by 
sheer necessity, the neutrality of Belgium having already been violated 
by French officers who have been through Belgium territory in a 
motor car, disguised, on their way into Germany. Belgians, our 
dearest wish is that means may still be found to avoid a combat between 
two peoples who have pJways been friendly till now, and who formerly 
were even allies. Remember the glorious day of Waterloo when 
German arms assisted in founding and estabhshing the independence 
and prosperity of your country. 

But we must have a free passage. The destruction of bridges, 
tunnels, and railway lines will be looked upon as hostile actions, 

Belgians, it is for you to choose. 

I hope, therefore, that the army of the Meuse will not be constrained 
to fight you. A free passage to attack those who wished to attack us 
is aH that we ask. 

I offer formal guarantees to the Belgian population that they will 
not have to suffer from the horrors of war, that we vdll pay in gold 
coin for the supplies which we shall have to take in the country, and 
that our soldiers wiU show themselves the best friends of a people 
for whom we feel the highest esteem and the greatest sympathy. If 
you wish to avoid the horrors of war you must act wisely and with 
a true appreciation of your dutj^ to your country. 

The General Commanding in Chief the Army of the Meuse, 

Von Emmich. 

Proclamation distribueb le 4 AOtT 1914. 

" Au Peuple beige ! 

" C'est a mon plus grand regret que les troupes allemandes se 
voient forcees de franchir la frontiere de la Belgique. Elles agissent 
sous la contrainte d'une necessite inevitable, la neutralite de la Belgique 
ayant ete deja violee par des officiers fran^ais qui, sous un deguisement, 
avaient traverse le territoire beige en automobile pour penetrer en 
AUemagne. 

" Beiges ! C'est notre plus grand desir qu'il y ait encore moyen 
d'eviter un combat entre deux peuples qui etaient amis jusqu'a 
present, jadis meme allies. Souvenez-vous du glorieux jour de 
Waterloo ou c'etaient les amies allemandes qui ont contribue a fonder 
et etablir I'independance et la prosperite de votre patrie. 

" Mais il nous faut le chemin fibre. Des destructions de ponts, 
de tunnels, de voies ferrees devront etre regardees comme des actions 
hostiles. 

* Taken from the Sixth Report of the Belgian Commission. 
269 



270 

" Beiges, vous avez a choisir. 

" J'espere done que I'armee de la Meuse ne sera pas contifiinte de 
vous combattre. Un chemin libre pour attaquer celui qui voulait 
nous attaquer, e'est tout ce que nous desirous. 

■' Je donne des garanties formelles a la population beige qu'elle 
n'aura rien a souffrir des horreurs de la guerre ; que nous paierons en 
or monnaye les vivres qu'il faudra prendre du pays ; que nos soldats 
se montreront les meilleurs amis d'un peuple pour lequel nous 
eprouvons la plus haute estime, la plus grande sympathie. 

" C'est de votre sagesse et d'un patriotisme bien compris qu'il 
depend d'eviter a votre pays les horreurs de la guerre. 

" Le General commandant en chef Varm,ee de la Mevse, 

" Von Emmich." 

Proclamation posted at Hasselt on the 17th August 1914.* 
Dear fellow citizens : 

Acting in conjunction with the High German mihtary command 
I have the honour to advise you again to abstain from any kind of 
provocative demonstration and from all acts of hostility which might 
bring terrible reprisals upon our town. 

Above all you must abstain from acts of violence against the 
German troops, and especially from firing on them. 

In case the inhabitants fire upon the soldiers of the German Army a 
third of the male population will be shot. 

I recall to your notice that groups of more than five persons are 
strictly forbidden and that persons who disobey the order to this effect 
will be arrested forthwith. 

Hasselt, the 17th August 1914. 

The Burgomaster, 

Feed. Portmans. 

Aefiche placardee a Hasselt, le 17 aoitt 1914. 

" Chers Concitoyens, 

" D'accord avec I'autorite militaire superieure allem.ande, j'ai 
I'honneur de vous recommander a nouveau de vous abstenir de toute 
manfesitation provocante et de tous actes d'hostilite qui pourraient 
attirer a notre ville de terribles represailles. 

" Vous vous abstiendrez surtout de sevices contre les troupes 
allemandes et notamment de tirer sur elles. 

" Dans le cas oii des habitants tireraient sur des soldats de Varmee 
allemande, le tiers de la population male serait passee par les armes. 

" Je vous rappelle que les rassemblements de plus de cinq personnes 
sont strictement defendus et que les personnes qui contreviendraient 
a cette defense seront arretees seance tenante. 

" Hasselt, le 17 aout 1914. 

" Le Bourgmestre, Ferd. Portmans." 

Extract from a Proclamation issued to the Authorities of 
the! Commune oe the Town of Ltege, 22nd August 1914.t 

" The inhabitants of the town of Andenne after protesting that 
their intentions were pacific made a treacherous surprise attack upon 
our troops. t With my consent the General Commanding has burnt 
the whole neighbourhood and about 100 people have been shot. I 
bring this fact to the knowledge of the town of Liege in order that the 

* An original of this proclamation was submitted to the Committee by the Belgian 
Government. 

t Taken from the Sixth Report of the Belgian Commission. 

X This assertion is vehemently denied by the witnesses from Andenne. See 
Appendix A., b. 1, 2, 3. 



I 



271 

people of Liege may picture to themselves the fate which awaits them 
if they take up a like attitude. 

" The General Commanding-in-Chief, 

" Von BiJLOW." 

ExTRAiT d'une proclamation atjx autorites communales de la 

viLLE DE Liege. 

" Le 22 aout 1914. 
" Les habitants de la ville d'Andenne, apres avoir proteste de leurs 
intentions pacifiques, ont fait une surprise traitre sur nos troupes. 

" C'est avec mon consentement que le general en chef a fait bruler 
toute la localite et que cent personnes environ ont ete fusillees. 

" Je porte ce fait a la connaissance de la ville de Liege pour que les 
Liegeois se representent le sort dont ils sont menaces, s'ils prenaient 
pareille attitude. 

" Le General commandant en chef, 

. " Von BiJLOW." 



Proclamation posted at Namur, 25th August 1914.* 

" 1. Belgian or French soldiers must be handed over as prisoners of 
war before 4 o'clock, in front of the prison. Citizens who fail to obey 
this order will be sentenced to 'penal servitude for life in Germany. 

" A rigorous inspection of houses will begin at 4 o'clock. Every soldier 
fjund will be shot at once. 

" 2. Arms, pov\^der, dynamite must be handed over at 4 o'clock. 
Penalty — to be shot. 

" Citizens who know of any place where arms or ammunition 
are deposited must inform the burgomaster under a penalty of penal 
servitude, for life. 

"3. All the streets of the town will be held by German guards 
who will seize 10 hostages in each street which is under their, charge. 
If any hostile action is attempted in the street the 10 hostages will be 
shot. 

" 4. Doors must not be locked, and at night from 8 o'clock onwards 
three windows must be lighted up in each house. 

"5. No one must be out in the street after 8 o*clock. The people 
of Namur must understand that there is no crime greater nor more 
horrible than to endanger the existence of the town or the lives of its 
inhabitants by hostile action against the German Army. 

" The Commandant of the Town, 
" Von BiJLOW." 

" Namur, 25th August 1914." 

Proclamation affichee 1 Namur, le 25 aout 1914. 

" Les soldats beiges et fran^ais doivent etre livres comme prison- 
niers de guerre avant 4 heures devant la prison. Les citoyens qui 
n'obeiront pas seront condamnes aux travaux forces a perpetuite en 
Allemagne. 

" L' inspection severe des immeubles commencera a 4 heures. Tout 
soldat trouve sera immediatement ftisille. 

" 2. — Armes, poudre, dynamite doivent etre remis {sic) a 4 heiu-es. 
Peine : fusillade. 

" Les citoyens connaissant un depot doivent en prevenir le bourg- 
mestre, sous peine de travaux forces a perpetuite. 

" 3. — Toutes les rues seront occupees par une garde allemande qui 
prendra dix otages dans chaque rue qu'ils garderont sous leur sur- 
veillance. Si un attentat se produit dans la rue, les dix otages seront 
fusilles. 

* Taken from the Sixth Report of the Belgian Commission. 



272 

" 4. — Les portes ne peuvent etre fermees a clef et, la nuit a partir 
de 8 heures, trois fenetres doivent etre eclaires dans chaque mefison. 

" 5. — Interdiction de se trouver dans la rue apres 8 heures. Les 
Namurois devront comprendre qu'il n'y a pas crime plus grand et plus 
horrible que de compromettre, par des attentats sur I'armee allemande, 
I'existence de la ville ou la vie des habitants. 

" Le Commandant de la place, 

" Von Bulow. 
" Namur, 25 aout 1914." 



Proclamation Posted at Reims on the 12th September 1914.* 

Proclamation. 

In case fighting takes place to-day or in the near future in the 
neighbourhood of Reims or in the town itself the inhabitants are 
warned that they must keep absolutely calm and must make no sort 
of attempt to take part in the fighting. They must not attempt to 
attack either isolated soldiers or detachments of the German Army. 
Raising barricades or taking up the paving of streets is expressly 
prohibited in order that the movements of troops may not be impeded. 
In a word nothing must be attempted wliich can be in any way injmrious 
to the German Army. 

In order adequately to assure the safety of the troops and to guarantee 
a calm attitude on the part of the population of Reims, the persons named 
below have bee7i taken as hostages by the German High Command. These 
hostages will be hanged if the least attempt is made to create a disturbance, 
and if any infraction of what has been laid down above is committed the 
town will be ivholly or partially burnt a7id the inhabitants hanged. 

On the other hand, o"f the town keeps absolutely peaceful and 
calm the hostages and inhabitants will be taken mider the protection 
of the German Army. 

By order of the German Authorities, 
The Mayor, 
Reims, the 12th September 1914. Dr. Langlet. 

List of Hostages. 

(Eighty names follow, and a note is appended that some other 
hostages have been taken in addition to the 80 whose names appear. 
Amongst the 80 names are five priests and a number of persons of 
distinction.) 

Proclamation. 

Dans le cas ou un combat serait livre aujourd'hui ou tres prochaine- 
ment aux environs de Reims ou dans la Ville meme, les habitants sont 
avises qu'ils devront se tenir absolument calmes et n'essayer enaucune 
maniere de prendre part a la bataille. lis ne doivent tenter d'attaquer 
ni des soldats isoles ni des detachments de I'armee allemande. 11 est 
formellement interdit d'elever des barricades ou de depaver des rues 
de fagon a ne pas gener les mouvements des troupes, en un mot de 
n'entreprendre quoi que ce soit qui puisse etre d'une fa9on quelconque 
nuisible a I'armee allemande. 

A fin d'' assurer suffisamment la securite des Troupes, et afin de repondre 
du calme de la population de Reims, les personnes nommees ci-apres ont 
ete prises en otages par le commandement general de Varmee allemande. 
Ces otages seront pendus a la moindre tentative de desordre. De meme, 
la ville sera entierement ou partiellement brfdee et les habitants pendus, 
si une infraction quelconque est commise aux prescriptions precedentes. 

Par contre, si la ville se tient absolument tranquille et calme, les 

* An original of this proclamation was forwarded to the Committee by Professor 
Morgan. 



273 

■ otages et les habitants seront pris sous la sauvegarde de rarmee 
allemande. 

Par Ordre de I'autorite Allemande, 

Le Maire, Dr. Langlet. 
Reims, le 12 Septembre 1914. 

Lists des Otages. 
Followed by 80 names and the note " several others." 



Proclamation.* 

I. All arms and ammunition are to be deposited at 

Any person whosoever fomid in possession of arms hereafter will 
i be SHOT instantly. 

II. The gathering together of groups of people is strictly forbidden, 

III. During the hours of Darkness no person is allowed to be 
in the streets without the written permission of the German local 
commandant. 

Every house must be entirely open and lighted and the streets 
must also be lighted. 

IV. German currency, including German notes, must"|be miiver- 
sally accepted, at the rate of exchange of 1 mark = l-25^frs. Any 
refusal to do so will be severely punished. 

V. All Persons will be shot forthwith who attack German 
SOLDIERS or even threaten them. 

The Divisional Commandant. 
Printing ofl&ce of Joseph Lenzen, 

Herzogenrath. 

* An original of this proclamation was submitted to the Committee by Sir William 
Lawrence. It was evidently prepared and printed beforehand in Germany. The 
I Prench is very faulty. A photograph appears on the next page. 



Sekatintmachuttg. 

!. Waff@Bi und Hyuitiors smd ^ 

, abzugcben. 

V^cr ipitcr In Bciitzc if$6 Wafffg ktrsifea wfrd, wM @rsdi®sseii» 

II, Ansammlungen smd verboten. 

ills Wilir®ild d®? Dyi%k®lhelt darf Niemand ohne schnftUchc 
Erlaubms des Ortskommandanten die Strasse betreten. 

— smd die Hauser daucrnd unvcrschlossen und belcuchtct 
zu halten, •desgl die Strassen. 

■ Wb Deutsches Geld, einschL Papiergeld, hat Jedermann als Zahiung 

— 1 Mark — 1,26 fr. — anzunehmcn Zuwiderhandlungcn 
werdcn streng bestraft. '- -'*' 

^¥« W@r ci©iils€li® S®iciat@n ai^sraift odar mU ®Mmm A}i» 
sriff® b®€iroht. wird sofort ni®d®rg®schoss®ei. 



Proclamatioii I 

I, Toutis les armss ©t munitioas sent i deposer a .^ ...^ 



Fimporie qusli® personns qui s@ irouvs plus lard en possession d'ami@§!i@ra. 

£lisill0 mstantimlmsnt. 
n. Tous rassemblsmenl est strictemiai dsfeadu. 
Ill P@rsonn@ doit S9 trouper dans la r^s p@S&d£l»l]L^ gift's! is^i^ 

MMktf sans pefmission @c?it@ d@ la part du commandant aEsm^d d\i 

village su d@ la villi. 

Teutgs l@s fnaisosis doivant raster esmplet@m@nt eiiw®rt®S si 

@€iair^Se Is ru9s doivsnt restsr ficlaires^sigaismgni 

IV. Je ijl«ll'^ ^eo&'P't^W la monnaie allemandd, 7 comm les 
billets aHemands, la Mark au cours d@ 1 ^f' 26. To^ refus'sira tsunis ser^rtment. 

V. %m» fiiifiiS syr §@ c@yp to&st® p®rs@iiifi® csiii atla^y® 

^@s s^Bda^ aBI®ifiargds qu qui iait d@s menaces s@ul9m@&i 

Le Coifiina'i^dant de Division. 

The imprint is too small to be legible when ^photographed. Itruns 
as follows : — _ , 



aSudjtrucferei 3of Scnjen, .^erjogcntat:^. 



274 



APPENDIX D. 

SECOND PEACE CONFERENCE HELD AT THE 
HAGUE IN 1907. 

Convention concerning the Laws and Customs oe War on 

Land. 

SECTION IL— OF HOSTILITIES. 

CHAPTER I. 

Means of Injuring the Enemy. Sieges and Bombardments, 

Article 22. 

Belligerents have not got an unlimited right as to the choice of 
means of injuring the enemy. 

Article 23. 

In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, 
it is particularly forbidden — 

(a) To employ poison or poisoned weapons ; 

(6) To kill or wound by treachery individuals belonging to the 
hostile nation or army ; 

(c) To kill or wound an enemy who, having laid down his arms, 

or no longer having means of defence, has surrendered at 
discretion ; 

(d) To declare that no quarter will be given ; 

(e) To employ arms, projectiles, or material calculated to cause 

unnecessary suffering ; 
(/) To make improper use of a flag of truce, of the national flag, 
or of the military insignia and uniform of the enemy, as 
well as of the distinctive signs of the Geneva Convention ; 
(g) To destroy or seize enemy property, unless such destruction 
or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of 
war ; 
(h) To declare abolished, suspended, or inadmissible the right of 
the subjects of the hostile party to institute legal proceedings. 
A belligerent is likewise forbidden to compel the subjects of the 
hostile party to take part in the operations of war directed against 
their own country, even if they were in the service of the belligerent 
before the commencement of the war. 

Article 24. 

Ruses of war and the employment of measures necessary for 
obtaining information about the enemy and the country are considered 
permissible. 

Article 25. 

The attack or bombardment, by any means whatever, of undefended 
towTLS, villages, dwellings, or buildings, is forbidden. 

275 



276. 

Article 26. 

The officer in command of an attacking force must do all in his 
power to warn the authorities before commencing a bombardment, 
except in cases of assault. 

Article 27. 

In sieges and bombardments all necessary steps must be taken to- • 
spare, as far as possible, buildings dedicated to public worship, art, 
science, or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals, and 
places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they ar& 
not being used at the time for military purposes. 

It is the duty of the besieged to indicate such buildings or places 
by distinctive and visible signs, which shall be notified to the enemy 
beforehand. 

Article 28. 

The giving over to pillage of a town or place, even when taken hy 
assault, is forbidden. 

SECTION III.— MILITARY AUTHORITY OVER THE 
TERRITORY OF THE HOSTILE STATE. 

Article 42. 

Territory is considered occupied when actually placed under th& 
authority of the hostile army. 

The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority 
has been established and is in a position to assert itself. 

Article 43. 
The authority of the power of the State having passed de facto • 
into the hands of the occupant, the latter shall do all in his power to - 
restore, and ensm-e, as far as possible, public order and safety, respect- 
ing, at the same time, unless absolutely prevented, the laws in force 
in the comitry. 

Article 45. 
It is forbidden to force the inhabitants of occupied territory to 
swear allegiance to the hostile Power. 

Article 46. 
Family honour and rights, individual life, and private property, . 
as well as religious convictions and worship, must be respected. 
Private property may not be confiscated. 

Article 47. 
Pillage is expressly forbidden. 

Article 48.. 
If, in the territory occupied, the occupant collects the taxes, dues, 
and tolls payable to the State, he shall do so, as far as is possible, in 
accordance with the legal basis and assessment in force at the time, 
and shall in consequence be bound to defray the expenses of the 
administration of the occupied territory to the same extent as the 
national Government had been so bound. 

Article 49. 
If, in addition to the taxes mentioned in the above Article, the 
occupant levies other money contributions in the occupied territory, . 
they shall only be applied to the needs of the army or of the administra- 
tion of the territory in question. 



I 



277 

Article 50. 
No collective penalty, pecuniaiy or otherwise, shall be inflicted' 
upon the population on account of the acts of individuals for whicla 
it cannot be regarded as collectively responsible. 

Article 52. 

Requisitions in kind and services shall not be demanded froiir 
local authorities or inhabitants except for the needs of the army of. 
occupation. They shall be in proportion to the resources of the- 
country, and of such a nature as not to involve the inhabitants in the.' 
obligation of taking part in military operations agamst their owii, 
country. 

Such requisitions and services shall onty be demanded on the- 
authority of the commander in the locality occupied. 

Contributions in kind shall as far as possible be paid for in ready 
money ; if not, a receipt shall be given and the payment of the amount 
due shall be made as soon as possible. 

Article 53. 

An army of occupation shall only take possession of cash, funds^ 
and realizable securities which are strictly the property of the State^ 
depots of arms, means of transport, stores and supplies, and, generally,. 
all movable property belonging to the State which may be used for 
military operations. 

Except in cases governed by naval law, all appliances adapted 
for the transmission of news, or for the transport of persons or goods, 
whether on land, at sea, or in the air, depots of arms, and, in general,- 
all kinds of war material may be seized, even if they belong to private 
individuals, but they must be restored at the conclusion of peace, and, 
indemnities must be paid for them. 

Article 56. 

The property of local authorities, as well as that of institutions^ 
dedicated to public worship, charity, education, and to science and 
art, even when State property, shall be treated as private property. 

Any seizm-e or destruction of, or wilful damage to, institutions of 
this character, historic monuments and works of science and art, is- 
forbidden, and should be made the subject of legal proceedings. 



APPENDIX E. 

DEPOSITIONS TAKEN AND PAPERS FORWARDED 
BY PROFESSOR MORGAN. 

British Soldier. 
^ Qn^!f r^^enti^res, some time in November, one morning about 
6^30 the Durhams got surprised and retired ; we reinforced to retake 
the_ trenches. Our inajor led us up and we retook the trenches ; 
Major (^ . . put a field-dressing on the arm of a wounded German 
and when he turned away the German shot him. We bayoneted him. 

British Soldier. 
When we were approaching Ypres from Hazebrouck, we met 
several refugees, chiefly of women and cliildren. All the men civilians 
we found afterwards, were kept by the enemy for the purpose of 
makmg trenches. The women were in an exhausted state— with 
their children— some with their hands dehberately cut off— deliberately 

.7^ 3°^'',''^,^^^^®^^- The women told us this by signs. The 
cutting off of the hands of the women and children was in order to 
get the bangles off the wrists. The women— their clothes (skirts) 
were torn and they were crying— had also been insulted. I mean 
outraged, in the village, whose name I forget, it is about 3 miles 
this side of Ypres (the Belgian headquarters were very close here 
in a big hne chateau a lovely place), there is a pubHcan who was made 
to pay 800 fs. to save his house from being fired. The publican, who 
^P°f® English very well, told me this, and so did his wife. Two doors 
ott lived a poor old lady who had no money for the Uhlan patrol, so 
they fastened her down in her own house with ropes and outraged 

British^^Soldier. 

Somewhere between Chantilly and Villers-Cotterets, about end of 
August, just after we started advancing, we were marching through a 
village and the villagers called us into a house and showed us the 
toocly of a middle-aged man, with both arms cut off by a sword, pointed 
to him and said " Allemands." They told our R.A.M.C. men in 
i^rencii that he had been killed when trying to protect his daughter. 

In the next village, before we got to the Aisne, the villagers showed 
us the dead body of a woman, naked, on the ground, badly mutilated, 
Itier breasts cut off and her body ripped up. They said " Allemands." 

British Soldier. 

^9^- l^t^» in a suburb of Armentieres, we were advancing, and 
saw the body of a woman lying in a doorway, half naked, the upper 
part of her body exposed ; one of her breasts cut clean off, as if by 

278 



279 

a sword cut ; blood ail over the doorway. There were no signs of 
shell-fire ; no debris. Lieutenant B . . ., of our regiment, said she 
had been outraged. 

British Soldier. 

About 19th October, about two days' inarch from Poperinghe, we 
made a forced march that morning and got to a bit of a village, and 
the Commanding Officer told us to attack a village about two miles 
up the road . We had got about 200 yards when we received an order 
to take up a position in a field to await the Queen's on our left. Our 
men on the right went forward, and we lost our connecting files on 
either side. About 3 we had the order to retire. Their shrajonel fire 
ceased and the enemy advanced with the bayonet. I was wounded 
in the foot by a rifie bullet and lying on the ground. A German came 
up and shot, at the distance of about two or three yards, the man 
lying next to me. I got up and tried to crawl away, and he shot me 
in the shoulder. All round our wounded , were being shot on the 
ground, and I could hear them crying out. I crawled to the hedge, 
and I remained there from Wednesday till Friday night, when I was 
picked up by a trench ambulance. 

British Soldier. 

About October 15th I was with my regiment outside Ypres ; 
Germans overlapped us on both sides, and we had to retire. As the 
Germans came on singing and shouting, I saw them — they were quite 
close — ^not more than the length of this ward — sticking their bayonets 
into those lying on the ground. We got into the wood with other 
details. The Germans thought we were another regiment, and so 
they retired, and we retook the trenches. 

British Soldier. 

On 14th November, at Ypres, the Germans broke into our trenches 
and as we tried to get out most of us were shot. As they retreated, 
after being driven back from the communication trenches, at about 
4.45 on the Saturday (14th November), I was lying wounded in the 
leg at the bottom of the trench unable to rise and a German officer 
stooped clo^Ti and shot me in the thigh. I saw the same thing done 
by other Germans to other men of my company. 

British Soldier, 

About 7th September, 2 miles from Braisne, I saw an old man of 
about 70 lying in a garden with his head split up open by a sabre, and 
a yovmg man on the ground shot dead. In the next garden I saw 
another ^''oung man, about 20, tied to a tree riddled with shot as if 
they had been practising at liim. There had been a lot of destruc- 
tion there and the people starving. We gave some of our biscuits 
to them. 

British Soldier. 

Near Ypres, in November, on a Saturday, in the evening, the 
Germans advanced and broke through our trenches, and we retired. 
We had left Major L. . . . in our trench wounded. I was about 
50 yards off and I saw a German, I tliink an officer, go up to Major 
L, , , ., who put his hands up, but the German officer shot him dead. 
We retook the trenches about an hour later. 

^ British Soldier. 

During the advance to the Aisne (from the Marne) I saw homes 
destroyed in thousands, ransacked, and furniture with everything else 



280 

Hsmaslied. On one occasion I saw a child, about five or six years old, 
"lying on the road side, practically beaten to pieces. The injuries 
■were not from shell-fire, but as if beaten about the head with blunt 
heavy things. About the same time I went into a public-house when 
the owner told me that on his wall was a picture of the King and Queen 
of the Belgians. Germans orderfed him to take the picture down. On 
Ids refusing the Germans nearly strangled him in a comer. I saw 
the marks of the injuries on the man's neck. I understood quite what 
-he meant by the man's gestm^es. I understand a good deal what these 
French people mean now. He put the chair in the corner, sat upon 
it, and showed me how he had been illused. After all the picture 
remained in its place and was not taken down. 



British Soldier. 

On Tuesday, September 1st, we halted at a village to wait for 
-orders. We were asked into a house and offered milk. We wanted 
to buy eggs. We had with us Gunner B . . ., who knew French 
Tyell (he was born in Guernsey) ; the sergeant and officers used to take 
Jhim as interpreter. The man in the house said he wanted all the 
>«ggs he had for his daughter and another woman — he showed the two 
women to us in a room on the same floor. They were in bed, one of 
them with her breasts bandaged. I saw them. He told Gunner 
. B « . . that his daughter had been outraged and her breasts cut o£E. 



Corporal. 

After Meaux, at a place called Chantilly, or Chantilly de Nord 
'^or de Sud), just before you get to the River Marne, in one house which 
1 went into, I saw (with others) one young girl, I should say her age 
'was about 17, tied to the table. She had been brutally maltreated, 
I mean outraged. / saio her myself with the hlood running down her 
legs. We cut her down at once, and she was taken to hospital where 
•she was treated by our o\n\ Red Cross people. Immediately after- 
wards I took part in a big charge. We drove out the Germans, 
■capturing 70 prisoners. Of these at least 50 were driuik. From here 
we went in the Battle of the Aisne and Ypres, 

British Soldier. 

About November 6, at Lindenhoek, we were sent into the village 

■of Messines to observe, and we laid our line of communication with our 

Ijattery and carried our observation instruments to the chm-ch tower. 

We were there all that day, and the Germans made two or three 

charges during the night. Next morning they came into the village, 

•and as we could not escape without leaving our instruments we stopped 

there and broke them up. Some German officers came up with their 

anen, up the tower, and told us to put our " Hands up," and, as we had 

no rifles, we did so. They asked us what regiment we belonged to. 

'We said we belonged to the Royal Fusiliers. They said " You do 

Slot '' (the officer spoke English), and said we must either be spies 

■or artillery observers (we had no badges on — we had given them all 

away), and asked to see our identification discs. When they saw 

1:hem they asked where the battery was, and told us if we did not tell 

them they would shoot us as spies. We would not tell them — there 

were four of us altogether (two on the telephone, two on the observa- 

"tion instruments) — and they said they would give us till the next 

izaorning. They kept us in the church all night, with two sentries 

-at the door The next morning they marched us out, stood us up 

-against a wall, and said they were going to shoot us. Another officer 



I 



281 

came up and said something, and we were marched back again. They 
gave us nothing to eat all day. The next day they gave us two raw 
IDotatoes and a piece of bread each. Just after, the officer came and. 
took us up the tower, one at a time, with four or five soldiers. _ When 
he got me up he asked where the battery was situated. I said I did 
not know. He then said, " No one will ever know if you tell ; and 
which would you rather have — to be well-t»eated in Germany or to be 
shot." I still refused. He then struck me in the mouth, and knocked 
me backwards. I was then marched below. Each of our other men 
also refused. The next night we heard a lot of infantry firing, and we 
saw that one of the two sentries was standing without his rifle. One 
of our men, D . . ., snatched: it up and shot at him, and we all 
rushed away, except T> . . ., who was shot. After a day concealed, 
in a house, we were caught u]D one of the Lancashire regiments. 



CORPOEAL. 

At the village of E,adnumi(?),* near the Bois Granne f Road, about^ 
seven weeks ago, I think, I saw a horrible sight. We were told to find 
out about a house where a light was shining. We went there and 
found in it an old lady and three children, but saw nothing particular. 
The next house had the door open, so me and the sergeant entered, 
with fixed bayonets. The place was all upside down. We went 
upstairs to the bedroom. To our surprise we found a large pool of 
blood in the middle of the bed. The rest of the clothes were pulled 
over the foot of the bed. The bedroom was all ransacked and upside 
down. Even the image of the Virgin Mary was lying down there 
broken up. On the bed was a chemise, just as it had been taken off, 
with blood on the tail part. Then we came downstairs, and a French- 
man, a civilian, made us understand that a girl had been outraged in 
the room above by the Ulilans we had driven out of the village. They 
had gone away in a great hurry, because he found a table outside another 
house — a white house — with bottles half full of wine and some quite 
full with corks only just drawn. I smashed all these bottles myself,, 
for I was in charge of a section, and I thought there might have beem. 
poison in the bottles. 

Captain, R.A.M.C. 

At Troyon, on the Aisne, on 20th September (our first day there), 
about 12 noon, a number of Germans were seen coming over the crest 
of the hill in front of the West Yorks, holding up their hands and also- 
holding up white flags. The officer in command of one company of 
the West Yorks ordered his men to lay do^vn their arms and then 
advance to receive the Germans, who were to sru-render. On getting, 
within speaking distance he was informed in English that if they did' 
not all siu-render they would all be shot down. At the same moment 
the front (German) rank dropped on their faces and disclosed a machine 
gun behind. Moreover, the Germans in front had rifles on the ground 
beside them, which they took up and began firing. The company 
officer of the West Yorks was killed ; the rest siurendered. This was 
about a mile from where I was ; I was looking through my field- 
glasses. 

At Chateau Thierry, about ISth September, we were billeted for 
the night. The place was in an indescribable state of filth ; every- 
thing in the houses was smashed to atoms, including the heavy furni- 
ture. A large private house which we entered, intending to make it 
the headquarters of the battalion, v/as made so filthy that we fomid it 
imj)ossible to clean it, and the colonel could not sleep there. The 

* ? Radinghem. f • Bois Grenier. 



282 

whole house, from the front door to the living-rooms, &c. had been 
used as latrines. 

At a small village, I think St. Remy, north of Chateau Thierry, we 
were billeted for the night (about 13th September). We were going 
round looking for billets for the men and met a woman in great distress, 
who told the interpreter and myself that her daughter, who was seven 
months pregnant, had been outraged successively by 11 Germans, 
and had been sent to hospital, and that it was very doubtful if she 
would recover. 

British Soldiepw 

On the retreat from Mons in August we came upon a woman tied 
to a tree. She was quite dead. Her throat v/as cut, I believe she 
had been outraged. We all believed it. The time was about 5 p.m. 
It was quite light. I should say the woman's age was between 18 
and 22. The men cut her down. I saw them do it. I do not know 
what became of the body as we had to go on. I suspect it was Uhlans 
who had done this. 

British Soldier — SERGSAiirT. 

During the first week in November at Zonnebeke, near Ypres, we 
were in the trenches, and the white flag was raised in the German 
trenches about 150 yards opposite to us. The moment our officer 
got up above the parapet they shot him. 

British Soldier — Sergeant-Major. 

(1) About 14th September, on the Aisne, I was informed that there 
were some men unburied in the woods behind our trenches on the 
heights of Soupir. I found a guardsman wounded in the leg * ; he 
had his trousers down and his field dressing in his clenched hand. 
Evidently he had been in the act of putting it on when surprised by 
the Germans. They had given him tliree bayonet wounds. 

(2) Near Armentieres on Monday, 2nd September, one of my 
company was sent down from the trenches crushed, owing to the 
trench being blown in. As he was being carried down the road covered 
by German snipers he was shot through both hands. It was so 
common for stretcher-bearers to be sniped that we had to give up 
carrying the wounded by day. 

British Soldier. 

About two months ago, at Laventie, we were billeted there after 
having cleared the Germans out the day before. We were coming 
back with a gun limber, when an R.A.M.C. called us into a house to 
come and look. Two men were with me, one was a friend of mine. 
We entered the house, and in a bedroom on the ground floor a young 
woman of about 30 was lying on a bed, the bedclothes were covered 
with blood. A German soldier's jackboot was in the kitchen. The 
house was turned upside down. The woman seemed almost dead. 
The E..A.M.C. man fetched a doctor. The next day I was told by the 
R.A.M.C. man that the woman had been stabbed with a bayonet in 
the lower part of the body. I saw her dead body being brought out of 
the house. 

British Soldier — Corporal. 
In September, at a village (the name I forget) between Coulommiers 
and Rebaix, while we were on the march, we entered a house to see 
if we could get bread. The house had a red cross on the door. 

* Not a bayonet wound. 



283 

Inside, on a bed on the ground flooi', was the body of a woman, covered 
with a sheet. In the house was a priest who talked to our orderly, 
who understood French, and drew back the sheet. She had been 
stabbed between the breasts, and was quite dead. She looked like 
an ordinary French working woman of about 30. The priest said she 
had been outraged. The Germans had, I tliink,.left the village the 
night before. The house and all the other houses had been ransacked 
and tiu'ned upside down. 

British Soldier. 

On Saturday, November 28th, at Ypres, we were in the trenches 
with, I think, the Scots Guards on our right. The men on our right 
took about 75 German prisoners, at about 10 a.m. Some two hours 
afterwards some more Germans, about 50 or 60 yards off, on the edge 
of a wood, held up the white flag. A company of our regiment was 
sent to take them, and when they got up to them they were fired upon 
by the Germans who had put up the white flag ; they had a machine- 
gun concealed beliind them, and opened fire with this. We lost a 
great many men, and had to retire. 



British Soldier. 

About seven miles from St. Jans Capel, not very far from Ypres, 
four v/eeks and two days ago — it was on a Monday, and about 11 
o'clock in the morning, I was in the trenches. The German trenches 
were hardly 100 yards away. Private G . . . crept out of the trench 
to get water and when coming back he got it — hit in the leg, I think. 
Two stretcher-bearers from about half a mile — they had to come through 
a wood — placed Private G . . . on a stretcher, and taking him away, 
got about fifty yards, walking with him when Private G . . . was hit 
again, I do not know where ; he died afterwards, I do not know what 
cla}^. There was no firing going on at the time — just sniping. The 
snipers who shot Private G . . . a second time would be about 200 
yards off. 

British Soldier. 

I was in the dug-out at the time the incident mentioned by the last 
witness occurred. I was on the right and not more than 50 yards 
away. I saw Private G . . . being taken away on the stretcher. I 
knew it was Private G . . . because all his pals with me knew who it 
was. I went back to my dug-out while Private G . . . was being 
carried away to the dressing station. I heard afterwards that he had 
been shot on the stretcher by a sniper and that he died from the shot. 



British Soldier. 

On the 17th December — I think that was the date — I was in the 
trenches. I had lost my company and was attached to B. I saw 
Private G . . . coming back from getting water ; I knew Private 
G . . . because he was my chum. He was hit by a sniper and fell on 
his knees, he was a wild chap and he shou:ted out. A big fellow took 
him by the arm and tried to drag him towards the trench, but he could 
not, so he came back into the trenches himself alone. I watched 
Private G . . . being put on the stretcher crying with pain. He was 
carried awa5^ I was told that he was wounded again. I never saw 
him again. I think it was not in broad daylight but about half past 
four in the afternoon.* It was quite clea,r and you could see. There 

* I think, now I remember, that it was in the morning. 



284 

-was no firing, just an odd sniper now and again. The men got out to 
:;get water if tiiey got permission from the corporal— I mean the section 
•commander. The men stoop down and crawl as low as possible. 

British Soldier. 

k 

I do not know where it was, but we came under a heavy fire on the 
^th September which I think was the battle of the Marne. We marched 
;again and came under fire on the 10th. Between this date and the 1 3th, 
hnt I cannot say which day for sure, we marched through a village and 
I saw a child's face at a window, not on the ground floor, but up one 
.ffight of stairs, and of course, having a child of my own, I thought I 
■W'Cmld wave my hand to this child, thinking of my own child. As I 
• waved my hand, fellows chaffed me, saying " Get away, this is a doll." 
We went on a little further and halted. Afterwards, two men, I 
■iMnk, of the K.R.R.'s, came and told us that what I had waved at was 
.•a little girl about 2|- years which had been strangled. 



British Soldier. 

Some time in October near a place which I think is called Soissons, 
'1 and an artillery fellow went into a farmhouse to get some water. 
The farmer's son showed us the dead body of a young girl not more 
■fhan 14 or 15. She was lying on the floor with the top of her head 
smashed, I am sure, by a revolver shot. The farmer's son spoke 
:a, little EngHsh as well as French. He told us that his sister had been 
'raided and murdered by the Germans, and he pointed to upstairs to 
'sigaiify tliat some one was there. We went up and found a German 
-corporal asleep on the floor. He had had some drink evidently. As 
^oon as we awakened him up he jumped for his rifle but we had got his 
rifle. We fetched him down and asked him in EngHsh (he could speak 
English) who had done it. He said that his other fellows who had 
,;gon© away from the farmhouse, had killed the girl. Wliile I was 
trying to pick up the girl, the corporal broke away from the artillery 
■Jelow, who, seeing that he could not catch him, shot him with a 
revolver which he had, straight through the back. It must have gone 
straiglit through his heart. He put about four shots into him. I do 
mot know who the artilleryman was. I had lost my regiment and 
picked up this chap. I parted with him about four miles after we had 
left the farmhouse and never saw him again. The farmer's son was in 
great taking. He said he had been out at the time in the field. When 
lie returned he found the Germans in the house, so he ran away again. 
When he saw us go in he came into the farmyard with us. We had 
■seen some Germans leaving the farm. The farmer's son then went into 
the house before us and showed us the body ; we followed him in. 



British Soldier. 

It was on the Wednesday when we came out of the trenches : it 
snust have been about the 16th of December. One of our chaps went 
to get water from a spring a few yards in front of the trench. He was 
tisihot through the right leg by a sniper. We were in the reserve trenches 
—for the last day. There was no general fighting, only occasionally by 
^snipers. Another chap attempted to go to the same place for water, 
■and he was shot through the shoulder. One man jumped back into 
the trench and we pulled the other in ; he was only a yard or two away. 
The ambulance was sent for. It had to come through a wood to get to 
•--our trench. And as it got to the exact spot, where the first man was 
-shot, one of the stretcher-bearers was shot through the right shoulder. 



285 

and he walked back by himself. Two or three of us put the first man — 
him shot in the leg — on to the stretcher. We had no arms of any kind 
on us while doing this. Another chap volunteered to take the stretcher 
■ bearer's place. The stretcher had proceeded about five yards when the 
man lying on it was again shot through the leg. The day was dull but 
the light was good. It was deliberately a case of firing on the wounded. 



British Soldier. 

One day, about a week after we came into action on August 24, I 
was on patrol duty with a corporal and two other men. On the out- 
skirts of a village which we had just left we came across the bodies 
of two or three Uhlans and of their horses with their kit lying all 
about. Close to them by the roadside was a rick, not more than 6 feet 
high, on fire. Leaning against the rick was a motor- bicycle (a Douglas). 
On the rick was the body of a despatch rider. We pulled it off ; it was 
scorched, the clothes burnt off and the flesh of the legs and arms almost 
burnt away. In the body were about half a dozen bullet wounds and 
one of the hands had the marks of a lance-thrust, Close by were two 
rounds of German ammunition v/hich had been used. On the road 
we traced the wheel marks of liis bicycle ; they suddenly swerved 
towards the hedge. There were about 18 A.S.C. motor lorries half 
' turned round in the opposite direction to which they must have been 
■going, but there were no drivers or men to be seen. An A.S.C. captain 
came along from the village to find out what had become of the column. 
We had been told about an hour before that the column had been 
-surprised, and our squadron had been sent ahead to support it. While 
w% were examining the body the rest of our squadron came up. We 
were ordered to go ahead on patrol again. The A.S.C. driver who was 
driving the car in which the A.S.C. captain was, said he knew the 
despatch rider. The face of the body was quite recognisable. The 
villagers who crowded round told our lieutenant who was present, and 
they told us, that the column had been surprised by Uhlans and that 
they had seen the despatch-rider, who was leading the column, trjdng 
to escape across the fields. 

I can't remember the exact date, but it was the day the R.E.'s 
blew the breech out of four German guns which had been captured. 

Another day, about the third day of the advance, I was on patrol 
duty and we came to a village. In the church there were 700 German 
prisoners who had been captured at that place on that day. The 
Germans had been chased out about two hours before and their 
transport was lying all about the road. I saw lying near a manm-e 
heap in a garden off the road the bodies of an old lady and an old man 
with their heads battered in as if by a rifle-butt. There had been no 
shell-fire there. The villagers, who seemed frightened right out of 
their lives, crowded round, and pointing to our rifles made a motion 
as if striking someone and said " Allemands." 



Proces — Verbaux.* 

Gendarmerie Nationale. 

Cejourd'hui vingt trois septembre mil neiif cent quatorze, a dix 
heures. Nous soussignes, Guillin Auguste Fran9ois, marechal des 
logis chef, et Flornard Victor, gendarme a pied a la residence de 
La Ferte-Gaucher, departement de Seine-et-Marne, revetus de notre 
uniforme et conformement aux ordres de nos chefs, agissant en vertu 
de la note N° 996, de M. le chef d'escadron commandant la Compagnie, 

* These are selected from a large number of similar documents forwarded by 
Professor Morgan. 



286 

en date du 18 septembre 1914, a I'effet de rechercher les crimes et 
delits, etc., commis par les allemands et autres troupes dans la commune 
de La Ferte-Gaucher, nous avons reQu les declarations suivantes : — 

" M. Larieux, adjoint au Maire cle La Ferte-Gaucher, en Tabsence 
de ce Magistrat, declare : — 

" Le dimanche, six courant, les allemands sont alles chez M, 
Quenescourt, proprietaire du chateau de la Masure, commune de La 
Ferte-Gaucher, oil ils ont dejeune. Le soir, ils y sont retournes 
etant, parait-il, pris de boisson ; ils ont alors viole la bonne du pro- 
prietaire, ainsi que Mad*" N . . ., cultivatrice au hameau du Buisson, 
qui s'etait refugiee a la Masure. Voyant cela, M. Quenescourt a 
tire un coup de revolver sans atteindre les allemands, ce qui n'a pas 
empeche ces derniers de le fusilier immediatement. Je ne connais 
pas les details de cette scene, car j'etais moi-meme prisonnier des 
allemands depuis la veille." 

(A signe) Larieux. 

Mademoiselle G . . . A . . ., agee de 54 ans, domestique de feu 
M. Q . . ., a la Masure, commune de La Ferte-Gaucher, declare : — 

" Le dimanche, six courant, un officier albmand et un soldat 
cycliste de meme nationalite sont arrives vers 14 heures, au chateau 
de la Masure, appartenant a M. Q . . ., V . . . E . . ., age de 77 anis. 
lis ont demande a dejeuner, et mon maitre a obtempere a leur des'r 
et les a bien re9us. Une heure environ apres, deux cavaliers allemands 
sont arrives a leur tour, puis ils sont partis tons quatre vers 1 5 heures 
30. Le meme jour, vers 19 heures, ces quatre allemands sont revenus 
paraissant fortement pris de boisson, surtout I'officier. Ils ont com- 
mence par tirer des coups de fusil a travers la grille, et Fun des chiens 
de garde ay ant ete atteint par une balle, a du etre abattu. M. Q . . . 
est alle ouvrir la grille et I'officier a demande a diner pour 4 hommes, 
et a coucher. N'ayant plus de pain a la maison, on leur a fait cuire 
des oeufs et des pommes de terre. Cependant, comme M. Q . . . ne 
voulait pas les recevoir pour la nuit, ils ont tire des coups de fusil 
dans les appartements. Comme je faisais cuire le diner, les allemands 
ont fait monter de force au grenier, Mad" N . . ., du hameau du 
Buisson, qui etait venue se refugier ici ; ils I'ont alors deshabillee. 
completement et lui ont vole son porte-monnaie contenant une tren- 
taine de francs, puis tous ont abuse d'elle. Voyant cela, M. Q . . . 
s'est arme d'un revolver, et du bas de I'escalier, a tire dans leur direc- 
tion, mais sans les atteindre ; ils Font alors fusille immediatement ; 
une balle lui a traverse la tete, et 2 ou 3 autres Font atteint a la poitrine. 
Prise de peur, je me suis enfuie a la ferme du chateau, mais I'officier 
est venu me rejoindre, en disant que si je ne le suivais pas, il allait 
bruler le chateau, ainsi que la ferme, et tuer les habitants. Craignant 
pour ma vie, je Fai done suivi et j'ai du coucher avec lui. Quant a 
Mad"^ N . . ., I'officier Fa remise aux trois soldats qui Font emmenee 
dans ime grange, ou elle a du passer la nuit avec eux. Le lendemain, 
7 septembre, ils sont partis tous vers huit heures," 

(A signe) Guillemot. 



From Lieut. M ... to Officer Commanding, First Cavalry Field 
Ambulance, First Cavalry Division. 

Sir, 

I HAVE the honour to inform you that the following is the state- 
ment made to me this day by M™^ V . . ., of Bailleul. 

M""= C . . ., being ill and in danger of her life at her home in 
Bailleul, M™'^ V . . . was nursing M""" C . . .'s two-months-old baby 



287 

at her house, situated between Bailleul and Meteren. The position 
of the house is sho^vn hereon. 

On Thursday, 9th October, 23 German soldiers entered her house 
when she was alone there, and demanded coffee. Subsequently, on 
demanding more, and being told there was none, one of the Germans, 
presumably with the object of forcing M'"" V ... to produce more 
coffee, picked up the baby and dipped the top of its head into some 
boiling water which had been prepared and was standing on the table. 
This was at about 4.30 p.m. Immediately after this a shell burst in 
the street outside, and the Germans quickly took their departure. 
Thereupon M'"* V . . . escaped with the baby, first to the mother's 
house, and then to St. Jans-Cappel. 

M'"" V . . . farther stated that the German soldiers were Uhlans 
(that they rode horses and had lances) ; that the man who committed 
the outrage had on his shoulder three gold bands, but that three 
other of the soldiers also had these ; that the other soldiers standing 
round at the time made no effort to interfere, but rather laughed and 
looked on with approval. 

I saw the infant 'to-day and found that its condition was quite 
compatible with M'"^ V . . .'s statement, the whole of its scalp being 
one large scab. 

I have, &c. 

C. E. M., 

Lieut., R.A.M.C. 

Lieutenant in British Army. 

On or about September 10th or 12th I was at Done, a day's march 
south of Nanteuil and 25 miles S.E. of Soissons. I entered a house 
to seek for a billet and found an old lady in great distress of mind. 
When I asked for a room she burst into tears and said that she would 
do what she could for me, but that the German officers who had just 
left had treated her home in such a manner that she knew not what 
to do. I saw for myself how they had behaved. The house was, 
or rather had been, neat and refined, but the German officers had 
deliberately polluted and wrecked it. In one room they had pulled 
the old lady's fine linen sheets out of the presses where they were kept 
in lavender, piled them in a heap on the floor, and then " made water " 
all over them. The linen was still lying there when I entered the 
room and was in a disgusting state. They had also pierced some 
charming old prints and pictures with their swords and knocked her 
furniture and china about. 

Lieutenant-Colonel in British Army, 

On February 14th I examined one of our wounded who had been 
brought in No. 84 Field Ambulance. The soldier had been hit the 
same day at Ypres. A bullet had entered the palmar surface of his 
left wrist, and was located under the skin of the dorsal surface {i.e. 
the other side). It was a reversed bullet. It must have been deli- 
berately reversed before firing. It could not have been a ricocheting 
bullet, because there were no marks of any kind upon it. The fact 
that it did not go right through the wrist pointed to reduced momen- 
tmn, and as the firing had been at close range, this can only be explained 
by the reduced riflmg due to the bullet having been reversed before 
it was placed in the breech. * 

I regard this as a clear case. I examined the wound and also the 
buUet, and so did two other officers. We all three came to the same 
conclusion. 

Note. — The three officers in question are doctors. 



288 

Beitish Officer, 
At Nesle, near Fere-en-Tardenois. 

I was in this neighbourhood for about ten days examining German- 
requisition forms, my object being to discover from them what the 
formations of the German troops had been. The requisition receipts 
given to the peasants for small sums bore genuine signatures, but 
wherever goods of considerable value had been taken {e.g. 400 francs 
and upwards) the receipts were fraudulent, the signature being : — 

Herr Hauptmann von Koepeniek. 



289 





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